What’s Your Story?

There’s a scene in Pretty Woman where a man is yelling “Welcome to Hollywood, what’s your dream…? Some dreams come true, some don’t but keep dreamin!’” Do you ever just want to know someone’s story? Whether it’s someone you see at the grocery store that looks sad, or even angry-do you wonder what brought them to that point, what makes them tick? What about when you see someone who is just so happy? Are they really, truly happy, or is it someone like Robin Williams? The tears of a clown, when no one’s around… When you come across someone who is considered by society to be less than…a drug addict, a prostitute, do you wonder what brought them there? No little girl wakes up on a happy morning in her bubble gum pink bedroom with Barbie’s and baby dolls and thinks she aspires to be a prostitute. Something broke somewhere. But what? No boy leaves his baseball game and thinks “I’ll probably just try some [meth]. Maybe become hooked and need to steal-even from my family.” I am a people watcher. Reading people. And sometimes feeling what they put off. (Not always, but often.) I’ve just started a part time job as a waitress in a small restaurant (first time to ever wait tables!) and sometimes I have a customer who seems very gruff. My goal is to make their day better. Not because I’ll get a tip. But because it’s what makes me tick. Often in this restaurant it’s an older person who seems just…unhappy. But if you listen (even eavesdrop??) you will often hear them tell a part of their story. These people have had a life. Some have very interesting stories. I pray daily that I will treat each and every customer as if she or he is the best tipper ever. (Whether they are or not isn’t my business.) What if we all do that? Treat people the best we possibly can. What if tou become one of the best parts of someone's story?