[sodpoodle]

Each one of us, individually, should make an effort to be gentle, kind and friendly to those people who inhabit our space; however fleeting.

As a retiree, with no time pressure, I step back from the check out lanes or yeild to merging cars on the highway. Makes me feel better - and I hope the gesture makes some stranger feel good.

At airports and bus stations - instead of a cell phone - I chat with other passengers. It only takes a genuine smile to begin a conversation and to learn how each human being has a life story and a life lesson.

Of course, my family claims I’m just a senile lunatic;)

[ballplayer]

You sound Like a Decent Citizen to me,Im 61 and I try my best to do the same things you do,when you talk to people one to one you realize we all have similar feelings and desires,we love our families and want the Best for them and we really dont mean Hrm to anyone. I think there is a Wide spread feeling of Loss of Control that Frustrates people and causes them to act in bad ways and I think in Most cases they regret afterward their actions.
Keep the Faith,God Bless the USA

[Nickname]

I think I met you in our grocery store’s parking lot.

I went to retrieve a run-away sharping cart and you pulled up beside me, rolled down your window and told me, You’re a good girl!

I thought you were a senile lunatic. ;-)

[PowderMonkey]

"It only takes a genuine smile to begin a conversation and to learn how each human being has a life story and a life lesson. ".

What you espouse was once universally known as "The Golden Rule." Today's feral youth are unfamiliar with the concept. How do you determine who's a human being, and who's a predator? The news is filled with stories about kindly older folks that failed to discern between the two. They're called "victims." As our society as a whole is now painfully learning, at some point in time somebody is going to want more from you than you can give. They're going to forcibly take it, and hurt you and your family in the process. And, they'll do it just because your kindness and advanced years will be perceived as weakness. Got CHL?

"Never pick a fight with an old man. If he's too old to fight, he'll just kill ya'." - John Steinbeck

[SumProVita]

“Of course, my family claims I’m just a senile lunatic;)”

I think that you are a wise and humble Christian. Am I right?

I also know that you are correct. People are very hungry for common decency and kindness and want to feel a connection to others. The vast majority of the time, they respond very positively to genuine kindness and consideration.

;-)

[21twelve]

One never knows what the other person has been going through, and a smile or nice gesture may make their entire day. Or, as I point out to my teenage son, it may be the last straw to the guy driving by that he goofs of to (”Hey - we’re walking here!!!”)

You remind me of the older guy in the checkout line in front of me once where there was a snafu in front of him, and the checkout gal said “Sorry for the wait”. He replied “That’s okay, I’m in no hurry. If I was in a hurry I would have gotten here yesterday!”

[I see my hands]

"I step back from the check out lanes or yeild [sic] to merging cars on the highway. Makes me feel better"

The people behind you are, no doubt, pleased to be inconvenienced in order to make you feel better.

[little jeremiah]

I’ve found that many people out in the world, if I look them in the face and smile, and converse in a personal way, respond not only well, but with gratitude in their faces. And then of course sometimes we get into “jeez, the world is going to hell and isn’t 0bama horrible”. Then it’s really fun.