the wonderful world of veena.

27 March 2014

40 days of giving back, day seventeen: p's and q's.

I'll be honest, I kind of felt like this one was a bit of a copout. The challenge was to remember to be polite to everyone you met -- smiling at a stranger, holding a door open for someone, and generally just acting like a human being.

I guess I felt like it was a copout because it's something I try to do in my general everyday life anyway. I know obviously it's not something I am successful at 100% of the time, but I feel like I come pretty close. And on Day Seventeen, which fell on Monday, I think I did pretty well with that. It's funny to walk down the New York City streets smiling at everyone you pass, because the ones who's eyes aren't glued to their phone screens end up staring straight through you. And if you do happen to make eye contact with someone and you're smiling, more often than not they give you a bit of a funny look while rushing past you [not that anyone was running away from me; it's just a fast-paced city].

But still I tried. I smiled at as many people as I could. I gave up a seat on the subway for an elderly gentleman. I said 'Please' and 'Thank You' to our waitress at lunch [another one I am big on - good manners go a long way]. And I served others before serving myself at our The Wandering Samaritan dinner, although because we're all inclined that way, sometimes others served me before I could serve them.

All in all I wouldn't say that any of this is outside my normal behaviour, but I guess every now and then it's good to have a reminder.
xx

Previous Tasks:
Day One - Start a Journal
Day Two - Create a Generosity Jar
Day Three - Tool Up
Day Four - Connect
Day Five - An Attitude of Gratitude
Day Six - Reach
Day Seven - Redial
Day Eight - o.t.t.
Day Nine - Listen, carefully
Day Ten - Talent Show
Day Eleven - one green thing
Day Twelve - #nofilter
Day Thirteen - Go Local
Day Fourteen - Shhhhh
Day Fifteen - Stand Up, Stand Out
Day Sixteen - bake it, make it, take it

No comments:

Post a Comment