Life is really hard, isn’t it? I am so often annoyed and annoying. Know why? Because I am a person and people are too much. Therefore I am too much and so are you. OK, so we agree life is hard and people are the worst but we are here one time (that we know of) so I don’t want to make it any harder, if at all possible. I try to be understanding and nice but sometimes I just am not. But sometimes, I am. And I spread that around by being nice and paying people compliments. I know, it is a bit weird but do you know what? The smile I get out of people is so great that it’s one of the most selfish selfless acts you can do for free.
On a Sunday a few weeks ago in the beating London sun (and we can talk more about how the heat is different in London but another time) I grumpily went to Sainsbury’s to grumpily do my grocery shopping and grumpily sit in a park for a hot and bothered grumpy sit down to gather my strength to get to my flat to grumpily put away my now warm and grumpy groceries. To be clear – I was in a mood. Then, I was walking down the road and I saw a lady wearing an amazing orange dress and I thought, ‘you know what? I should tell her her dress is amazing. It’d make her smile and it might make me not want to cry/die/scream/make me feel lighter about the stupid planet we’re on’ so I said,
“Excuse me? Sorry”
And she looked at me like ‘WHAATT??’ (fair reaction)
And I said, “I just wanted to tell you that I love your dress. Orange is one of my favourite colours and it looks great on you.”
And she BEAMED. And she thanked me and we both went about our day a little happier with the world. And if that ain’t nice I don’t know what is.
One other time I care to mention just because it was funny, really: I was getting off the bus and an elderly West Indian bloke was getting off in front of me and I loved his trainers so much I couldn’t even help myself but say, “Oh my God, I love your trainers!!” and he looked at me, looked at his trainers and exclaimed, “ZARA! Can you believe it? Thanks! You should have a look for yourself!” And I told him I would and I felt a little better. And I know to look at Zara if I want new trainers.
Anyway, the moral of this story is – pay a stranger a (genuine) compliment. You will both love it.
Disclaimer: please use caution when talking to strangers. You know what the world is like. Use your common sense. Don’t compliment strangers at bus stops at 2am like the man at Seven Sisters did to me the other night and then he seemed annoyed when I told him I was not drunk when he asked me, “are you drunk? I’m drunk.”
Reader, I was drunk.
Vicky Goes On (Again) 