Lessons From the Edge

You don't have to know people in order to be nice to them.

OK, technically this weeks lesson didn't come from the Edge. It came from the Village. But I was at the Village for the Edge, so I'm counting it! *wink*

I am part of an Activity Directors group and was stopping by the Village to borrow some props from one of my Activity Director friends. When I arrived, my friend was finishing up a card game with a group of her residents, so I sat down in an empty chair next to one of them to wait.
I hoped I wasn't causing anyone to feel uncomfortable, or like I was intruding on them. I mean, aside from my friend, no one there had a clue who I was! But I didn't want to interrupt, so I simply sat down quietly to wait for the hand to be over.
It only took a couple of moments for them to finish the hand. Then, just before my friend excused herself to help me get what I came for, the woman sitting next to me asked, "Would you like to play, too?"
This dear woman, who had never met nor seen me before, invited me to play. My intrusion into the room didn't seem to bother her - or any of them, actually - one bit. I was there, and that was enough reason for her to invite me to play.

I didn't have time to play cards, but the moment wasn't wasted.

The more I thought about that interaction, the more I realized we don't typically operate in such a fashion. Usually we check a person out, see if they're like us, size them up and down a couple times, and find out 'important' things like their political affiliation, and whether they prefer traditional or contemporary worship.
THEN, if they meet our criteria, we invite them to play.

How refreshing it was to experience the kindness of an individual without having to "earn" it. How nice it was to be welcomed into the group regardless of...anything. What a pleasant way to learn such a good lesson. You don't have to know people in order to be nice to them.