I LIKE PEOPLE

                I LIKE PEOPLE

  I like people, at least the vast majority of them that I have met. Yes there may be a few that are hard to like and probably a very few that are impossible to like. Never the less I like talking to them no matter if they are neighbors, friends, relatives or just strangers I meet on the street in my everyday comings and goings

   And most people respond to your liking them by responding back with a kindly    “hi” or “hello’ or “have a good day.”

   I recall many years ago I said “Hi” to an older man and it started up a conversation that my wife said went on FAR too long. She said she really did not have to listen to his whole life story However I liked talking to him and he seemed to be happy just sitting at the table next to us and visiting.

   






   Another adventure we had in a mall was when we were quite a bit older. My wife and I were walking in the Mall, (we did that quite often) and of course I had said Hi, or nodded my head to a couple of people , and my wife looked at me and said,” do you really think they like to talk to strangers?” Of course I told her yes I did think that was the case with most people. Of course that was many years ago also. I laughed and told her I would prove it to her.

   I asked her to pick any person in the Mall and I would have a conversation with that person. She looked around and picked out an older gentleman sitting on a bench with a frown or perhaps you might even say a scowl on his face, and a cane in his hand. She directed me to him, and said grinning, OK he looks like a good prospect.

   We walked over to him and I asked if my wife and I might sit on the bench with him for a few minutes. He immediately slid over toward the end of the bench ad said, ”of course.”  I told him even we younger people need a rest once in a while. He grinned ‘a little’ and said, “Ya I suppose so.”

   After sitting a minute I asked him if I could ask him a question. He told me of course I could ask but he would not guarantee that he would give me an answer.

   I told him his cane was beautiful and obviously homemade and I wondered if he had made it himself. Well he grinned  and his whole face turned into a smile.

   Of course he then told us how he goes to the mountains or streams close by and gets the material for the canes, and that yes indeed he did make them himself. He went on to say that it gave him something to do, and even if he said so himself, they turned out pretty good looking. It was obvious that he was proud of his canes.

   We talked a little more about job’s, families, cars and a lot of other things, until  my wife said, “I think we better be on our way dear.”  As I stood up the old gentleman was smiling and said, ”If you come walking again and see me, stop and say hi. I have enjoyed these few minutes.”

   As we got a little way down the Mall, my wife turned and looked at me and said, “OK you win.”

   If there is such a thing as a certified people watcher I and my wife should have a certificate.

   When we were first married we did not have much money to spare, after all the bills were paid, and there was no such thing as a TV, Computer, which means we also did not have thousands of dollars worth of Electronic Games.

   So we developed the people watching or animal watching pass-time. We would try and guess what car they were headed for to get in, or what restaurant, or what store they were going to. These guess’s were usually based on how they were dressed.

   One thing we did a lot was to go to a movie at one of the air conditioned up town theaters. Many times we thought we were pulling a fast one, as the movies were played over and over all day and we would stay in the cool theater and watch it 2 or 3 times in the air conditioned building and we only had to pay once.

   We went and watched, and fed, the ducks on the ponds around the valley, and yes we did meet some other young couple doing the same thing. We would talk and laugh at our kids and the ducks and then go home and probably never see those people again, but we had been able to get out of the house, meet some new people and relax, even if only for a short time.

   I especially like teen agers. They are the vitality and hope, showing us what this country can become. They are full of energy, new ideas and have the intestinal fortitude to bring their ideas to fruition.

   Of course just like adults, some (most that I know) are easy to get to know and talk to if we make a little effort.

 










 I recall at one time in my life I was teaching a class if teenagers and I had one that had to comment on everything I had to say. This went on for some time until one day I said, ”Tom, if I study real hard do you think I will ever get to know as much as you do?” His facial features changed about three times in three seconds—first Mad, then a little smile, then a big grin. He then said, “I doubt it but it wouldn’t hurt to try. Well amazingly there were no more distractions in the class and every time I passed him in the hallway, I would tap him on the shoulder and ask him if he was still studying hard. He would always answer back, “yes I am, I do not want you to catch up with me.” Then we would smile or laugh at each other. Somewhere along the line we become good friends.

   I do not recall where I read it but I know it was written by a man named -- Disraeli-- and I really like it. “The youth of a nation are the trustees of posterity.” So I hope the youth of our nation are getting ready to solve the problems that they inherit when the people my age pass on!
      At times I did not know if I would survive my own teenagers until they grew up and I suppose that feeling will go on until we ARE all perfect. And yes I think that DAY will happen.  

   I used to do something that made my wife think I had lost my senses. I never did get in trouble but I got quite a few of “those looks” at times. It was always interesting to wear a U of U sweatshirt to a BYU football game and then sit right in the middle of the BYU side of the stadium. There were people that I thought were just kidding, but I really found out they thought I was doing something sacrilegious?

   One time in Disneyland (where it seemed we went every year for a few years), one of the rides had a sign that said, “you cannot ride this ride unless you are this tall’ Then there was measuring board next to the gage to stand up to and see if you were the right height. It was about three foot tall. I went over to the booth and asked if there was anyone that could ride with my kids because I was A LOT taller than the sign? She looked at me with a funny look on her face, then she started laughing and so did I. She says no one has ever pulled that one on her before.
   

   I like young children, and yes some are easier to like than others. Actually as I have said above, I try to like everyone, but I have a real tender spot for young people. I guess at my age a young person could be anyone under 50, but of course I am talking about pre-teen children. Are they a challenge at times---of course they are, but they are so smart, so inquisitive and so busy, that if you really try to get to know them, you can’t help but like them, And of course my being a grandpa, if I don’t get along with them I can just tell them I have to go home. That works every time.

  For about 25 years I have been keeping what I call “my little black book.” It contains some of the things that my grandchildren have said over the years. I will not mention any names but here are a couple of classics.

   One of my grandchildren came to visit us and while they were here they told me about a new chair they had at their pre-school. They call it a power “seat”. If you are naughty you have to sit on it.  Of course me being the good grandpa I said, “I’ll bet you don’t ever have to sit on it.” They immediately responded, like I had insulted them, with “OH YES I HAVE GRANDPA, A LOT OF TIMES.”
   My wife and I were tending one of our granddaughters and trying to correct her for something she had done and we were not getting very far. We even commented as to how our grandkids might turn out? That all became insignificant when she climbed up on my lap and said grandpa I want to whisper to you. So I put my ear down and she said, ”grandpa I love you.”

   I picked up one of my grandkids one day and he was so skinny I said, “you feel like nothing but skin and bones.” Without a moment’s hesitation he looked up at me and said, “well grandpa you feel like nothing but fat & bones.” “Out of the mouth of babes.”

   Although I like teen agers and I love toddlers, I like a lot of people of all ages. Of course we will never know if we will like them or not unless we do like an old saying—“try it you might like it.”

   Is it strange, a coincidence, or just logical that the people we like the most seem to be the ones who like the same things we do.

   I grew up in a generation where our immediate and extended family, were some of our best friends. I guess that is still somewhat true but not as tightly knit as they used to be.

   I am old and OLD FASHIONED, but I do like people and I especially love my family. SO------ I started a tradition a few years ago to help us get to know each other even better than we did.

   It started off,  by one person writing a letter to any other person in the family. The letter could be on any subject and sent to any family member they chose. They also send along the letter they received. We have been doing it for a couple of years now and in MY TEEN AGE VENACULER, it has been “a blast.”

   I understand the package of letters going around now is about ½ inch thick and has been to 20 or 30 different people, some more than once.

   The only disadvantage I have found is that you only get to read ALL THE LETTERS when the package comes back to you—AND I AM NOT A REAL PATIENT PERSON.

   Well this Blog has wiggled and waggled around for way longer than I planned. However that is how I do my blogs. A person, a thought or idea comes to my mind and ---off I go.

    Enough about people and the fact I like them. I guess I need to go find someone to HUG. (family joke)

WRB 13 Nov 2017