There is only one way in which one can endure man’s inhumanity to man and that is to try, in one’s own life, to exemplify man’s humanity to man. Alan Stewart Paton, 1903 – 1988
If you haven’t met my Father, then just hold on – eventually you will. My Dad goes out of his way to say hello and strike up a conversation with people he has never met. There is no fear of strangers – he thrives on the interaction itself.
When I was growing up in the family, we on occasion would go out to eat. We rarely would see Dad at our table because he was making the circuit around the restaurant not only with people he knew, but with people he had never seen before. A hello here, an admiring remark there and pretty soon Dad had people feeling good about themselves.
So BNTP comes from my father – Be Nice To People. It’s a simple dictum. It’s a simple philosophy. It’s easy to remember and it’s easy to recall. About the only thing that isn’t easy is the constant practice of it.
BNTP is easy when we like the person we interact with. It’s a different story when we don’t seem to have the time, we don’t have much of a relationshp with the person or heaven forbid, have not even met the person.
Keep it simple – just like BNTP. A smile, a chuckle, a bended ear or even a twinkle in the eye can all reflect kindness upon any human being.
Here’s to my Dad and to all who put light into our gray,
Bryan Dear
