In running every single street in Tulsa, Oklahoma, I haven't set too many rules for myself. But there is one doozy that I set for myself: I have to make an attempt to greet every person I come across. Even if just a wave.
It started pretty easy. Most people in neighborhoods are easy enough to greet.
As I got into thicker city with more homeless people, it got trickier.
I feared giving a hearty "good morning!" to a homeless person waiting at a street crossing. Wouldn't such a sunny disposition be insulting? I mean, they likely weren't having a great morning.
What happened next surprised me.
Most downtrodden souls I greeted seemed confused—assuming I was greeting someone behind them. After reaffirming my greeting's intended recipient was indeed them, they'd beam right back at me and echo my greeting right back—happy to be seen.
These responses invigorated my motivation for passing out greetings like a reverse trick-or-treater. I began actively scanning my surroundings for people to greet.
However, in more affluent neighborhoods, there was much more reluctance on the return. Many weren't sure what I was up to and I felt much more like a stranger. Often, I would be intentionally ignored.
I didn't let this get me down. As my wife says, "Hellos are free."
Every hello seemed to straighten the spine of the recipient while lightening my own stride. Even a returned far-off wave made me feel like a child who had successfully gotten a train conductor or semi-truck driver to sound their horns.
For many, it is refreshing to have their existence acknowledged in real life.
I think that's what all of this comes down to—simple acknowledgment. A wave, a passing "How ya doin'?", or "Good mornin'!" is a protest against isolation and apathy. There is an understood feeling of "I see you and respect you as a person" built into it.
Not only is this acknowledgment free, but it pays out on both ends. Both parties are lifted up. With enough greetings, especially to strangers not expecting such, I believe this simple act of acknowledgment can completely change the world.
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