The Kindness of Strangers

You just never know when a stranger will make your day.

I spent my 53rd birthday in Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago. The day before my birthday I was wandering around shooting; Vegas is one big photo op. It was a day when I was happy to have some alone time. Just me and my camera. I wasn’t in a particularly good mood and I was enjoying the absence of human interaction. When I’m on a shoot like that I can go all day without speaking to anyone. To do so distracts my attention and I lose my momentum.

So I tried not to show my annoyance when a man struck up a conversation w/me as I was shooting the fountains at the Bellagio. Couldn’t he see I was working? He was making idle chit chat and I just wanted to get back to my fountains before they stopped showing off. Even though I was pleasant, I must have sent off the vibe that I was busy because the conversation was brief. Thank God. But as he was leaving he turned, pointed in my direction and said~

“You have a nice smile. Don’t lose that smile!”

I smiled bigger. And I smiled thru that day and the next. I’m smiling again as I write. All because a stranger was thoughtful enough to take the time and say a few kind words. It made me want to go out and do the same.

You just never know when a stranger will make your day.

“We should not forget to entertain strangers, lest we entertain angels unaware.” The Bible