“Are you friends with everybody?” my daughter asked me, laughing.
We were walking through Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse in Meridian, where I worked at the time. My daughters were with me in the store and I was greeting people as walked through.
“You know everybody,” she said.
She was impressed not that I knew them, really — after all, I did work with most of them five days out of every week — but that we greeted each other with smiles and pleasantries. It was a good teaching moment to help her understand that although we might not be “friends” with everyone, we can certainly be friendly to everyone.
My parents impressed upon my siblings and me that every person was equally important to God, and therefore should be equally important to us. It’s one thing to know the boss’ name, but do you know the janitor’s?
Lots of people have expressed something similar.
Boxing great Muhammad Ali said, “I don’t trust anyone who’s nice to me but rude to the waiter. Because they would treat me the same way if I were in that position.”
British actor Tom Hardy said, “I was raised to treat the janitor with the same respect as the CEO.”
“I speak to everyone in the same way,” Albert Einstein is quoted as saying, “whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university.”
I can’t recall what book on leadership I was reading, but its author said he always takes a prospective new hire out to lunch and asks about his or her spouse, children and other family as part of the conversation. If a man spoke poorly of his wife, for instance, he was no longer in line for the job. A person who doesn’t respect his own family has no respect for anyone.
Danny is the name of the man who comes to my apartment building every day and takes out the trash. He empties the public bins on each floor, and I’ve seen him take out trash for elderly tenants who would have trouble doing it themselves. I don’t see him every day, but we always speak to each other when we meet. I don’t know much about Danny, but I’m sure he has people he loves, has bills and concerns, and other responsibilities.
The woman who cleans the floors, dusts and takes care of other cleaning in the building is named Geneva. We talk every time we see each other. She loves the fact that my grandmother and one of my nieces share that name with her. She told me she’s only met one other Geneva in her life.
I make it a point to thank people, too.
I thank people for taking out the trash. Can you imagine what it would be like if no one collected trash and disposed of it? I’m grateful they do that job.
What about the people who serve food? Or cook it? Or clean tables or wash the dishes? Don’t be rude to those people. They, like you, are just doing their jobs.
Instead of being rude to someone — should the urge take you — try being nice to them instead. All it really takes is a smile and a “Thank you.” Works wonders. For them, and for you, too.
You don’t have to be friends with everyone.
But it won’t hurt you to be friendly.
