Strike Up A Conversation

We all have our own group of friends. Some friends are the key friends, and some are more distant – more of an acquaintance that we seldom get to see.

Some people don’t have that many. So why not befriend someone you don’t know. It may be while you’re waiting for the bus. Or when you’re walking through the park, you may spy a man or woman sitting alone on a park bench. Have yourself a seat. Say “hello,” “good afternoon,” or “nice day out today, isn’t it?”

You just never know how much it may mean to someone to have some verbal contact with someone else.

Meet someone new, just cuz.

Learn About Other Cultures

The world is full of people – different people – so many different shades.

At times, we become trapped in our own bubble, distracted by our everyday tasks and we tend to forget there’s a whole world outside of our house bubble, work bubble, and social networking bubble.

Why not take an hour a month (or week?) and learn about everyone else?

I just did a quick Google search with the phrase “examples of cultural differences” and came up with a bunch of interesting factoids:

• In the Latin American culture, arriving thirty minutes late for an appointment is considered “on time.”
• In Eastern Asian culture, arriving thirty minutes early is considered “on time.”
• Continental Europeans like to have their supper around 10:00 p.m. (I’m in bed by that time!)
• While in Baghdad, I learned that the American hand signal of “OK” or giving someone a “thumbs up” is an offensive hand gesture in the Middle East.

Learning tidbits like these can give your world an expanded view. Like one of my favorite quotes, some may think is rather cynical, but I think it hits it right on the head: Remember that YOU are UNIQUE! Just like everyone else!

So learn something about someone you may not understand… just cuz…

For more information, check out this Wiki!

Write A Letter (Part 4)

The first day I thought about starting this site/blog, one of the things I wanted to start doing was to send anonymous well-wishes to people. And I welcome you to do the same! Here’s how it works:

Run to your local dollar store and pick up some inexpensive cards that are blank on the inside. Once a month, or week, or daily (if you have the time and gumption), write a note to someone. I’m starting with people in my office – people that I either don’t know that well, or people who appear to need a little day brightener.

The card will say something like “hello” and wishes them a little bit of happiness. I thought a cool message would be:

Here’s a wish that you make someone smile today,
and that someone does the same for you!

Make it more “selfless” by not signing your name, just sign the card “Just cuz…” and leave it on a co-worker’s desk.

Play With Strangers

If you work in an office environment, there may be many people who work in your office that you know little or nothing about. I know that where I work, there are four floors housing more than fifteen departments, most of which are alien to me – both the departments and the people.

In our bubbles (be it our office or cubicle), we tend to shelter ourselves from others – I mean, face it… we have our jobs to do! But how about, if during one of our morning or afternoon breaks, or even at lunch, we make it a point – perhaps just once a month – to reach out to someone we don’t know.

Next time, instead of eating your lunch at your desk while you Google your high school sweetheart you haven’t seen in twenty years, make your way to your office’s cafeteria or break room and strike up a conversation with someone you may have seen, but don’t know.

Better yet, pencil into your calendar one day a month that you leave the office for that lunch period, and invite a co-worker to go somewhere for lunch.

You may be making a new best friend, and you’re doing it just cuz.

Gotta Quarter?

Some may think that this one is a little weird, but I think it’s kind of fun.

Isn’t it a great feeling when you use a payphone and there’s a quarter in the change machine? Or when you’re walking down the street and you find a dime, quarter, or if you are lucky a dollar? I often wonder where this money comes from! I know that obviously someone dropped it, but then I think of the times that I didn’t realize I had dropped a quarter – who got it?

Next time you buy a newspaper at one of those coin-operated machines, leave enough change on the top of the box so that the next guy can get a free paper. For the next guy, it’s like finding money. Okay, it’s not LIKE finding money, it actually IS finding money. But you may make that person’s day.

Why do something like this? Cuz it’s just a quarter, and, well, just cuz…

Get Off Your Butt

Do you use public transportation? If you do, you know that during the rush hours, buses and subways can get very crowded. I had never really paid attention to the number of times I was required to stand because of a lack of seats. Well, not until a couple of months ago when I had some minor knee surgery done.

I’m a bus person. I don’t own a car, can’t afford a car, and these days, even if I HAD a car, I couldn’t afford the gasoline (what is that stuff made of these days, liquid gold?). After my knee surgery I was forced to use a cane for a month or so while the knee healed itself. I hobbled my way onto the bus, paid my fare, and about half the time, someone would offer me a seat – and I was SO grateful!

Next time you find yourself on a crowded bus or subway, and you see someone who may need to sit more than you do, give it up to them and take a stand just cuz you can.

Leave Space For Someone

Convenience.

I love it, as I’m sure most people do.  Some people need a little more convenience than others.  Take, for example, parking spaces at the local supermarket.  A normally-abled person doesn’t necessarily need the closest parking space as much as someone else.

Why not let the person who is a lot more advanced in age get the better spot?  There are many people today who are differently abled than the average Joe – whether it be arthritis, knee surgery, whatever – it doesn’t really matter.

If you’re “normal-abled,” leave the close parking places for the other guy who may need it more than we do.  Nobody needs to know you did it because you’re doing it just to be nice.  Nothing gained.  And even if that “other guy” who takes the closer space is just as able bodied as you are, so what? You took the higher road, er, further space.  Just cuz.

(Besides, doesn’t practically every other commercial, television show, magazine, and newspaper tell us to get a little more exercise?)

Just… Dance

Today’s entry is a little bit different. I stumbled upon this last week, and it has had a lasting impression.

Here’s the quick story… A guy named “Matt” quits his mundane job after saving up some money, decides to do the “travel the world in a backpack” thing, gets the idea of shooting a video of him dancing his “Matt Dance” in every country he visits, he posts it on YouTube, a company sees it, likes it, and offers to send him out again and they would pay the bill, no strings attached, and Matt goes to almost 50 countries in less than 2 years, and invites people to dance with him. Watch the video below (if you go to YouTube you can see it in high quality).

It’s like World Peace for 4 1/2 minutes. It makes me hopeful.

So DANCE! Just dance.

Just cuz.
_____

For more information, you can go to Matt’s web site.

Save Someone A Fine

Have you ever gotten a ticket for parking at a meter that ran out? How frustrating is that – especially when, as Murphy’s Law would have it, you missed the meter expiring by just a couple of minutes.

Don’t let that happen to a fellow human! If you’re strolling down the street and come across a parking meter that has expired, reach into that pocket and give the poor driver a break, just cuz.

(Don’t do this in Newark, New Jersey because you may get arrested).

Clean It, Then Clean It Over There

Going to the mall can be fun. One of my favorite places in the mall is the food court, where I have a plethora of food choices to satisfy me between Williams Sonoma and Old Navy.

The next time you’re ordering the spicy chicken sandwich from Popeye’s, ask for a small glass of water (in addition to your normal beverage purchase), and grab a couple extra napkins. After you’ve finished the tasty meal, use the water and extra napkins to wipe down your table for the next guest. And, as an added bonus Good Stuff point, when you’re making your way to the trash bin to discard your trash, why not wipe off one of the tables that someone else left a mess. It’s not that much work, doesn’t take up too much time, you’re not getting paid for it, you do it just cuz!