Hello Never Hurts
by Linnie Frank Bailey
God on the Job: Salvation from the 9 to 5!
by Linnie Frank Bailey
For all those who leave their faith on the shelf when entering the workplace, comes a new guide which says...YOU NEED GOD AT WORK!
I’ve never been a morning person. Just my luck, I was born to a family of morning lovers whose cheerfulness and zest at 6am were a little too much for me to take. I on the other hand, could barely manage to speak to any family member I passed on the way to the bathroom. My mother would chide me to be more gracious, “After all,” she would say, “Hello never hurts!”
Once I got to college, I tried not to schedule morning classes, but I wasn’t always successful. But, I figured I wouldn’t have to interface with anyone. I’d get lost in the anonymity of a large campus. However, there was a thin older man I’d see as I approached the gym on the way to class. He was always jogging and either going to or coming from the track. He always spoke to everyone he passed, including me. I always returned his greeting, but I thought he could probably be done with his morning jog quicker if he didn’t take the time to speak to everybody.
That was thirty years ago and since that time I’ve learned that a warm hello is an easy gift to give. Sure sometimes we are too engrossed in our thoughts, or maybe we don’t recognize an acquaintance, or don’t want to speak to a stranger….but, we lose nothing by saying hello. And think of what we might gain: maybe we strike up a conversation with an interesting person, or maybe we make someone feel better because we acknowledge their presence.
I’m still not a morning person. My family knows not to talk to me before I’ve had my coffee. But, when I go out to face people, I put on a smile and greet them. I think about that thin man I used to see every morning as I approached Pauley Pavilion. Coach John Wooden was a legend even then. He probably had much on his mind, but he still took the time to speak to everyone he passed. I guess he knew, “Hello Never Hurts!”
