A Simple Salutation

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Did you know? A simple salutation could make someone's day. Whether it be, someone you might not know all that well or maybe even a complete stranger, you never know what might come of saying hello to someone. There's two types of people in this world. There are those that are outgoing, and there are those that keep to themselves. I, personally, fall into the latter category, but I find myself speaking before being spoken to on occasion. I still strive to be the one one to introduce myself first, especially when it's someone that I find particularly intriguing or interesting.

Two years ago, I was at a water park wandering around when a guy wearing a CM Punk Nexus t-shirt caught the corner of my eye. It's rare nowadays to see people wearing wrestling shirts in public, so I thought it was a pretty cool occurrence. However, I couldn't resist the urge to compliment him on the shirt. So, as I passed by him a little later on, I said, "Hey man, nice Punk shirt". He thanked me and we shook hands, and this all happened within a matter of seconds. We didn't instantly form a friendship or engage in conversation or anything like that, but it was a simple salutation that I still haven't forgotten to this day.

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In another instance, I was a college orientation last month and knew no one there. We were doing activities all day, so there was no time for mingling, but that time came later in the night when we watched a movie outside and had s'mores. A lot of the kids starting chatting it up like they had known each other forever, and maybe they did, I have no idea. But I sat by the fire with a number of other kids, none of which I engaged in a conversation with. That was until these two girls say next me and started asking me questions. That triggered a conversation that lasted for hours on end and we quickly became friends. Had they not initiated that conversation with me, I might have had a completely different outlook on that orientation.

Even if you don't notice anything interesting about someone and don't feel the need to talk to them, do it anyway. Maybe they look gloomy and possibly had a bad day. You saying hello to try and/or at least making an attempt to ask them what is wrong goes a long way. It could a brief greeting, an extensive conversation, or whatever you want it to be. That's how friendships are formed and how bonds are created. It may seem like a simple salutation to you, but it may mean the world to them.


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