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Paul Sassone bids you a nice day
Paul Sassone
Updated: October 29, 2012 12:16PM
They outnumber us.
Strangers.
No matter how gregarious we are, the number of people we don’t know will always be way more than the number of people we do know.
So, it behooves us to find a way to communicate with the people we don’t know; for instance, strangers.
There is such a way to communicate, though one derided by cynics and TV sitcom writers. It’s the simple sentence, “Have a nice day.’’
Not very original, I grant you. But it is cordial. And cordiality seems to be in short supply these days. Some talk show — I forget which — did a recent show on why people seem to be meaner these days.
“Have a nice day’’ won’t cure meanness. But what would you rather hear from a stranger:
1. “Have a nice day.’’
2. “Get out of my way or I’ll kill you.’’
Yeah, me too.
I am not afraid to admit that I like it when someone tells me to have a nice day. Too often, what I get from other people is a thousand-yard stare. For instance, I’m in a store and the salesperson doesn’t say anything to me; doesn’t smile or even look at me. No hello or thank you. It’s as if I don’t exist.
No, it’s not as if I don’t exist. It’s as if I am beneath noticing.
So, when a nice salesperson (and there are many) smiles at me and wishes me a nice day, I appreciate it. I exist. I am recognized as a human being.
And that goes for interactions with strangers everywhere.
And, think about it, what are strangers supposed to say to each other, since they are strangers and know nothing of the other person?
Just say nothing? If that’s what you think, then you are in the majority in this grim and grouchy world we’ve created for ourselves.
But some of us prefer more friendly surroundings.
And since strangers infinitely outnumber friends, there should be some form of greeting that can pass between people who don’t know each other.
“Have a nice day,’’ fills the bill nicely.
“Have a good day,’’ is fine, too.
I’ll settle for either, rather than that get-out-of-my-way-or-I’ll-kill-you thing.
Have a nice day.
