Once, while I was living in New York City, I decided to say hello to people I would walk by on the street. As rough and gruff as New Yorkers can be, I thought it could be a simple way to brighten someone\u2019s day. Maybe, just maybe, someone needed that quick hello. In all honesty, my experiment didn\u2019t last too long. It was New York after all. It\u2019s just not how you roll in the city. And, if I really said hello to every single person I walked past, I probably would have ended up looking a little out of sorts.<\/p>\n
Earlier this semester, I thought I should try something similar here on campus. I\u2019m an extrovert, so it doesn\u2019t take much for me to say hello to a stranger. It might not seem like much, but what if a simple hello can make a difference in one\u2019s day? What if a hello assures a student they are noticed and they matter?<\/p>\n
I have found, though, that I catch a lot of people off guard. Or, I must look odd saying \u2018hi\u2019 over and over no matter the response I get in return. Some students are listening to music. So, with headphones blocking their hearing, perhaps they can read my lips as I greet them. Others are texting and walking, which, let\u2019s be real, is a dangerous combination. Other times I think I catch people by surprise and they either say hello once they\u2019re ten feet past me or they don\u2019t hear me at all.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t know if it has made much of a difference, but it has reminded me of a phrase that I recently heard the Catholic priest and author Richard Rohr quote. He mentions that it is hung up in his office and attributes it to a Greek poet. It reads, \u201cEvery human being is carrying a secret and heavy burden.\u201d<\/p>\n
If this sentence is true, I don\u2019t know of another sentence that will lead you to have greater compassion and empathy for every human being. Perhaps, too, it will encourage each of us to take a socially awkward risk to say hello to every person we see. And, perhaps, such a greeting just might make someone\u2019s day.<\/p>\n
See you on the Dell with a hello waiting for you.<\/p>\n
Nathan<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Once, while I was living in New York City, I decided to say hello to people I would walk by on the street. As rough and gruff as New Yorkers can be, I thought it could be a simple way …<\/p>\n