Kindness

It is amazing to me how much a smile to a stranger can make a difference in your interactions with that person. Take the lady who cleans the halls of the hospital, for instance - a lot of people think that she's a complete witch with a capital B. The first time that I walked by her, I smiled but got no response from her. Well, I got a blank stare, but it amounted to ignoring me when we're the only two people in the hallway. After a couple of run ins over the course of a month, she started smiling back, and now we say "Good morning" or "Hello" to each other. I would bet that if people at work would stop ignoring her or avoiding eye contact, they could become friends with the ice queen, too.

The lady who cleans up the bathrooms in the lab is another good example. As a side note, sometimes I can't believe what some women do in those stalls (I would really hate to see what state their homes are in). This woman goes in, fixes everything up, and even in that tiny space a lot of people ignore her. I try to say hi, or ask how her day is going, and not only does it kill the awkward moment between two people in a bathroom, but I feel it makes both of our days just a little bit brighter.

I hate it when I walk into the break room for lunch and everyone in the room acts like they can't see me. Like they don't hear the door open, or the refrigerator open, or the microwave going, or me eating. I can understand if they're getting some rest or listening to music, but when they're just sitting there for a half an hour it's almost rude. I'm not saying I want everyone to have an in-depth conversation with me the moment I walk through the door (and far be it from me to say I don't want some introvert time now and then), but some small form of acknowledgement would be appreciated.

Life is too short to pretend that other people don't exist. Maybe a smile would brighten their day just a tiny bit. Then they might decide to pass it on. Can you imagine what the world would be like if everyone was marginally nicer to each other? If we tried to build relationships with people in the real world the way that we do in Farmville, we'd be baking each other cupcakes and casseroles on a daily basis, I reckon.

Anyways. Someone posted this recipe on Facebook the other day, and I can't stop thinking it's the savory version of monkey bread. I'll leave you with this wonderful food image to daydream of. I can't be the only one that does that, right?

Garlic Cheese Pull-Apart Bread