If you’ve ever entered a room that I am in, you’ve probably been greeted. It’s not a funny trick. I’m not being sarcastic… usually. I am acknowledging your presence. Here is the ‘why’ story:
Approximately three years ago I was sitting in a laundromat waiting for the dryer. A 20-something kid walked in with a black trash bag of clothes so I said. “Hey.”
I went back to my phone when the young fellow came up to me with a tear soaked face. He told me that he came in to wash some clothes that he wanted to be buried in because he was going to go home and kill himself but he wanted to have something clean to wear at the funeral.
Ya’ll, I have about one feeling and zero emotions and this kid struck it.
My laundry sat in the dryer for about an hour after the cycle stopped while I sat with this kid, mostly in silence. He felt alone, no hope. I didn’t even have to remind him that God has a future and a hope for him because that’s all he could say.
“God has a plan for me. He has a plan. I just don’t know what to do anymore. I feel invisible.”
He went on to explain that, for months, he has gone through life, gone to work, went home to his family and felt like he didn’t exist; like everyone just went past him in a blur and never said a word to him.
He walked in to a laundromat and some stranger said “Hey” and he decided to give life another shot.
I tell you all of this to tell you that I saw him at the bus stop a few days ago. He works in Chapel Hill now and has his own place and was visiting his family in Hillsborough. I stopped for coffee and parked in a lot I never park in and as I was leaving I saw him standing there bopping along to some tunes. He remembered me and like long lost friends he had a million things to say. He got on the bus and I went about my business. (I was on my way to the DMV to get my expired plates renewed because I’m a rebel.)
The moral of the story: say hello to someone that looks like they need a smile. Smile at them. Look at them when you speak. You never know what someone else is going through.
If you want to know the reason why I said hello to him, it’s selfish. I had been told that I did not acknowledge someone when they walked in to a room and was rude. So I started saying hello to people. But look what God did!
#choosetostay
Kelsie J. 