It had been a busy day. Then again, when, besides Sabbath afternoon, isn't my life now continuously busy? Anyway, I was hurriedly walking back from buying some kimbap for my evening adult students. We start class at 7:30 p.m. and don't end until 9:35 p.m. Sometimes they talk about how hungry they are, so I thought, Let me be a good teacher and bring them something to quiet their growling stomachs and put smiles on their faces.
The trademark black plastic bag carrying the precious vegetable and tuna kimbap swung back and forth in my hand as I walked down the last stretch of sidewalk to the institute. My earphones, which are a comforting and constant companion whenever I am out and about alone, were nestled in my ears, serenading me with happy tunes. An older man, maybe in his 60s, was walking the opposite way on the sidewalk.
Suddenly, with no warning, he stopped about 8 feet in front of me, stood rigidly at attention, and gave me an all-out legitimate military salute. I've now become accustomed to Koreans, mostly children and older people, acting, well, a bit different around me since I'm, well, a bit different from who they're used to seeing walking down the street. I smiled and gave a small chuckle, since this was one of the most ridiculous reactions I had ever had before - I couldn't help myself.
He then continued on as if he would walk past me, but he instead stopped in his tracks, turned toward me, and said, "Beautiful face! Beautiful face," as he circled his face with his finger to make sure I understood. I said thank you, chuckled a little, and as we were about to turn to part ways I said, "You have a lovely face, too!" as I made the same circling motion of my face and then pointed to him. He was so surprised. His eyes widened and his eyebrows went up so high I thought they would high-five his hairline. A huge smile lit up his face, arriving hand in hand with a laugh that came from deep within this man. He didn't expect to hear anything from me - he was shocked beyond all reason. And that made me continue to laugh and quietly giggle to myself as I continued on my way.
Compliments can do so much. They can turn frown into a smile; a bad day into a good one; and sometimes, enough can turn an enemy into a cordial acquaintance, sometimes even a friend. They're not hard to give. Just a few words here and there can mean so much, even if we don't realize it. Compliments can make life just a little bit better, for both the recipient and giver. So try it. Give a compliment. Leave someone surprised today. It'll make your insides giggle and your outside quietly smile.
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