In recent news, there are awful people in the world. If you need examples, Brock Turner (among every other rapist out there), the man who shot Christina Grimmie, Omar Seddique Mateen (man who killed 50 people in a gay club) and Donald Trump (no explanation necessary) are just a few. Reading articles about shootings, rape, terrorist attacks and things as such makes me feel hopeless for society.
There are people in our everyday lives that make life harder than it needs to be. These people are nowhere near as malicious as the people stated above, but if we could all try to get along with each other at an everyday life level, then maybe the world wouldn't be such a frightening place.
We encounter a lot of people every day (more than we think), and it can become so easy to pass through life with a monotonous presence. Yes, it can be easy to not care for a stranger, but showing interest in someone could mean the world to them.
One day when I was at work, the store happened to be very busy and I had been serving customers that were, well, unpleasant, to put it nicely. I was stressed because of this, and it really took a toll on my attitude. I didn't greet customers as I usually would, and I had a frown plastered on my face. Once the rush slowed down, the store was empty, and I had my back turned to the front door. I heard the door open, and I was immediately mad at whoever the customer was just because they had the audacity to want ice cream. When I turned around I saw a little girl looking at the ice cream. I walked up to her and said, "Hello." She looked up at me with the biggest and most infectious smile. My anger dissolved immediately, and I smiled back with the same passion. This little girl who I had never met completely changed my day with one smile (and I gave her extra chocolate sauce and whipped cream on her milkshake in return).
For the rest of my shift, I was smiling at every customer regardless of their attitude. Just this small interaction made me want to be nice to everyone, and some customers came into the store with a frown and left with a smile (I give myself the satisfaction that it was because of me and not because they had ice cream in their hand).
It goes to show that kindness really is a chain reaction. We can't see what is going on in strangers' lives, but they could be having a horrible day and a smile could change their entire day. We all know how it feels to be miserable, so why do we implement sorrow in others? It's a lose-lose situation. It's as simple as maneuvering the corners of your mouth up, and you could bring happiness into someone's day.
