I'm not what you'd call a "nice person". I mean, I'm not a criminal or like Sid in Toy Story or anything, but I've been a crabby, judgmental introvert since I was young. I mean, real young. Family friends like to regale me with stories of how, as an infant, I used to glare at them from across the room. I don't remember it, but in my imagination, I'm sitting in a red, vinyl booth in dim lighting, petting a hairless cat and smoking a cigarette in a long, black lacquer holder. Which is totally effed up for a baby to be doing, but there you are.
So I'm a parent now and, while my child (he's two...he knows it) can be mean, he's usually pretty nice. When I pick him up from day care, he always has nice things to say to me, such as: "I like your buttons" or "I like your face". Just hearing those words make me smile. So I've decided to emulate him, but make it even more personal. Starting tomorrow I'm going to greet people, friends and strangers alike, with "Your buttons are appealing" and "Your face looks nice to me."
I really think people are going to like the new me.
That's cute, Hillary, and not a bad thing to do. I can't remember the last time someone told me they liked my buttons...
ReplyDeleteToo funny. It's amazing what little people can teach you. What if people don't have any buttons for you to like, though?
ReplyDeleteYeah, the little man is all about the unrecognized minutiae. Well, if they don't have buttons, I'll come up with something else. "I like that stain on your lapel. It really brings out your eyes".
ReplyDelete