November 2019 Quote: Saying Hi

Someone I never talked to since elementary school cam up to me
Knew my name
Asked me how I was doing
Like nothing had changed
And it’s crazy how in that one second
He said my name
It took me back to then
And it truly felt like nothing had.

– floweringpages

To all those familiar or new,

You know what one of the best feelings is?

To be told hi by someone. It’s such a simple word, one word, one wave of the hand, yet it’s that one word or simple act that truly makes my day turn upside down and my life just brightens up. Because someone saying hi to you feel you feel acknowledged——–like they care about you—–or that they cared enough to remember you and say hi. The same goes for saying hi to someone too. It makes you feel good to see someone you know, or maybe don’t know and acknowledge their existence because they’ll say hi back to you whether or not they know you and usually when someone says hi back to you, it’s never with a frown. So in some ways their feeling that same sense of happiness——-an upbringing of mood.

What was weird was I was at the gym during the summer and this guy who I knew all throughout elementary school and I knew went to my high school, but never really talked to, came up and said hi to me. With my name attached at the end. I was shook. Like how in the heck did he remember who I was? I thought he didn’t know who I was. I had classes with him in elementary school and he was a nice-ash person, never spoke to him in middle school, acutely aware he graduated with me, and you would just think that in that situation he wouldn’t or a person wouldn’t remember you, let alone know your name. But he did.

And it made me feel good on the inside. To be acknowledged and remembered like that.

It made me take a step back and think about how I grew up with this person in some ways and here we were, crossing paths again and how nice it was to know that he was doing well in some ways.

For me, I always think that people I grew up with don’t remember me. In some ways I think it’s because I went through a time where I lost a lot of weight—–not at the healthiest I could have been—–and that physically, emotionally, and mentally changed me, and I think because I changed on the outside so much, people just don’t recognize me anymore. It’s kind of like that idea when Supergirl where’s her glasses and all of a sudden she’s Kara Danvers, when really, can’t people see that she’s Supergirl and the obvious resemblance? But I don’t know. Maybe when it comes to us we feel like we use that mask or have that idea of ourselves being masked that makes it feel like we truly are hidden when maybe other people can see through that. He saw through that of me.

And maybe other people who I knew back then do recognize me too. I think far too often we feel like people don’t remember us if they knew us “way back when,” but I hope you do know that there will be those who do remember you and you will have moments when you remember someone too. Don’t be shy to say hi or to go up to that person and be like, “You look familiar,” or “We went to school together.” If they don’t remember you, that’s okay. It’s okay to also feel embarrassed, but it’s better to talk to them and intimate that conversation because best case scenario, they do remember you and you guys can talk about the good days and what they are up to now or what you’re up to now. I love catching up with people that I was friends with or knew back then because it makes me remember mostly the good time with them and how we shared a sacred part of our lives together. It’s amazing to see how well everyone’s doing or maybe not so well and how you can be there for them. I know that there’s two other people who go to my gym who I went to high school with and they would DEFINITELY remember me. But I was always too shy or nervous to be like “Hi, how are you?” or “How’s college?” because I’m scared they might not like me anymore or care.

But remember that people care about you even if it doesn’t seem like it. Reach out to people and be the one to say hi. Check on your friends to see if they’re okay because that’s how you keep positive relationships going. It’s always hard to reach out first——I know! I’m guilty of this too. It’s hard because you feel like if you say hi first, then they don’t reply right away, that they don’t care about you, or you feel like that person is better off without you.

But know this. Everyone’s scared to reach out first too because they’re thinking the same thing. If you both think the same think and don’t reach out at all because of that fear, you both put your relationships or friendship on hold because of that fear. Life’s too precious to be scared to just say hi.

Saying hi can change a person’s day, mood, and life. It can rekindle memories and friendships.

One word.

Hi.

One wave.

Hi.

That’s the best we can do to connect as people.

So be the one to say hi.

Be the one to reach out even if you’re scared because I guarantee you to the right person it will never be wrong. It will make their day.

It made my day.

Funny story, I thought I saw one of my friends crossing the street one time because this girl had what I thought was the same shape and size with red hair. And my friend always went to the campus gym so I thought she was walking back from the gym. This happened before when she was walking back from the gym and she said hi to me and her face was tomato red—–not in a bad way, but in a “I worked out hard” way, which I respect. Anyway, I thought this was her crossing the street and I’m not the type of person to say hi first, but I was feeling gutsy so I waved at this girl.

AND LET ME TELL YOU . . .

IT WASN”T HER 😆

GOSH, I was E-M-B-A-R-A-S-S-E-D!!!

This is why I never initiate saying the hi.

And the thing was part of me never saying hi to someone was because I was scared, but also because if you are like me, you have SUCK eyesight and can’t see far. I can’t see far to save my life. Like I can make out things within a good five feet or so, but if you’re out of range, nope, nada. And usually I can discern if it’s someone or something I’m looking at is the right person or thing. This was NOT one of those times.

That girl literally looked at me, pulled out her earphone, looked behind her and then back at me pointing at her chest. I WANTED TO RUNNNNN. And then she waved back with a confused smile and I walked on with an embarrassed “I’m an idiot” smile. I was an idiot.

But you know what. I may have been the idiot with the bad eyesight to say hi to a random stranger crossing the street, but what warmed my heart was the fact that she said hi back even if she didn’t know me.

So say hi to people.

It’s not going to hurt.

I’m still good.

So wherever or whenever you’re reading this, I just wanted to say hi! 👋🏼 How are you? How’s your day? How’s life? What’s going on in your life? What are you doing for Thanksgiving or Christmas and if you don’t celebrate those, what are you doing right now? I don’t know 🤪

Anyway,

As always, with love,