Kindness - it's the new black

Well it's 5 days since I renounced behaviour of the nasty-ambivalent-negative variety. Were you all on the edge of your seats, riveted to what might happen next? Just out of interest, what were your predictions for the outcome of this little project? I had a few of my own...

1. Little bluebirds would keep me company all day long. All the while, I would whistle a jolly tune and people in the street would wave joyfully back at me. Small children would begin calling me, Ma'am and my next door neighbours would drop by with homemade goodness for me to eat. This isn't so much as a prediction but a wish, my neighbours run a small business called Lucy Loves from their home kitchen. When we first moved in, they bought us chocolate salted biscuits. Those were the days ** sigh **. 
2. Where was I? Oh yes... if people and animals weren't drawn to my happiness then maybe they would be repelled by it. I would be known as that 'weird friendly girl'. People would avert my stare and sales for the iPhone S.O.S app would go through the roof!
3. This one is the worst prediction of all... my new attitude would go unnoticed. By me. By everyone. Not even bluebirds or small children would care for me new found way of being. 

So what happened?

It was pretty amazing actually. I didn't do anything over the top. I just greeted people when it was appropriate and responded when people asked me how I was. I thanked people who sold me things in shops. I congratulated the guy at Woolies when I asked for 200gms of prawns and he skillfully picked up 198gms in his first attempt. I was nice to the owner of my favourite cafe and asked how her day was going when she tried to disregard me.

So what happened? I hear you cry at your iPhone (please stop reading my blog on the loo, it's just weird). 

Well... people responded with the same warm and friendly demeanor I greeted them with. The seafood guy at Woolies laughed and told me my baby was cute (I'm not kidding, it was a completely unsolicited compliment). The cafe owner was her normal-self on the first day and then on day two, she asked how my day was going back! THEN (and I'm totally not kidding) she complimented me on my baby! She said he was getting big and that these early years should be treasured as her boys were in their 20's now and she felt like the time had flown by. Ironically, as she gave the Hedgehog his compliment, he was sitting on the floor next to me filling up his nappy with glee. If the strained look on his face didn't give it away, the waft of freshly filled nappy certainly did. I happened to be with my Mum at the time. We quickly finished our coffees and made for the door. I haven't been back since. 

Other than these small exchanges, I just felt that people accepted my friendliness without suspicion and responded in kind. Now I can't say that I was a joyful angel all week, it's kind of been a rough week to be honest. There were a few times when I was tempted to take out my sadness on total strangers but I didn't. On more than one occasion, I reminded myself that beeping my horn for a late indication or being gruff with the lady at the petrol station (while she chatted to every-single-person in the long line up to pay for fuel) wouldn't make me feel any better or fix the things that were making me sad. 

I'm going to do my best to keep going with this new attitude. It mightn't increase the number my Facebook friends but it will help me to be friendly with those people who make regular cameo appearances in my life. 

Try it for a few days and see what you think!

On that note, I'm off to have a quiet cup of tea and a chocolate biscuit. I've learned that a bikkie a day keeps the blues at bay. If only the bikkie was one of those amazing Lucy Loves specials. 

Over and out for now.