New Friendly Resolution

It is never too early to start and plan your new year’s resolutions.

You can open the junk drawer and dust off last years list of eating less, exercising more, spending time with family and getting your chores done but they will still not get completed after the first week.

I checked my 2016 list and the major point was ‘respect others’.

Then we had the campaign for president and the on-going violence, hatred, bigotry. I questioned my resolution.

So I redefined my respect of people I knew to the values they showed during the year. This also meant reevaluation of the term ‘friend’.

 Trimming out my contact list I began to feel the world had gone mad until a guy at the grocery store renewed my faith in humanity.

My little interaction with other people is usually standing in a checkout line and a few words before I get my receipt. Most of these uniformed associates working at minimal wages on ever changing hours and somewhat mundane task are usually unresponsive but I still thank them (with respect) for the job they do supplying me with nutrition.

Still every now and then there is a flicker of customer service. A guy who bags and moves carts always seems in a good mood. Smiling with a friendly repertoire he quickly and pleasantly completes his duties as if he is having fun.

Every time I see this guy he waves and says, “Hello friend”. After a few brief conversations he noticed I ride a bike and he rides a scooter. Still I don’t know this guy anymore than Singing Sammy or Crazy Eddie, but when I see him he always has a positive attitude and a “Hello Friend” greeting.

So my new year’s resolution will be adding ‘friend’ to my vocabulary again. After a contentious year of bitterness I decided not to use proper names but just call people ‘friend’.