Traveling through a small town close to nowhere recently, I stopped at a small gas station in Northern Wisconsin. While browsing through both short aisles for some things to munch on I could tell the young, soon to be, cashier was being trained in by an older women who seemed insistent that she call her customers “honey”. I guess I was going to be practiced on very soon. I hear it when down south but Wisconsin? In the woods?
I placed the soda and chips on the counter and watched the nervous teen gather some courage to greet me. I nodded my head and gave her a slight smile. I waited and then heard her fumble her practiced line. What came out was “How you doing Homey?” She put a frozen smile on her reddening face, took my money and gave change. I turned my cap a bit sideways, smiled, nodded and walked out the door while pretending to hitch up my pants. Man, those girls had a set of lungs for laughing. I could hear them after I got in my truck and shut the door. I wish I could have made the ole truck backfire.
Aside from an occasional fun moment, I long for real. Why is real so rare? Someone who is really interested in you, your need and maybe notice something about you. “hey, nice hat, what company logo is that? “I see you like hot and spicy chips. I couldn’t do that”
It’s not hard to be interested in other people. It’s easy to connect with strangers with a little practice. Don’t call them “honey” if it’s not naturally you, and “homey” is not recommended.
Go ahead, try it on the next cashier, church greeter, telemarketer and most of all on any little gas station personnel in Northern Wisconsin.
garyfultz 
Hmm, no, I don’t think I could call anyone aside from my husband, my kids, or my pets “honey”. Good point about being real. There’s sadly a shortage of it, but let’s keep on trying to spread it. A smile, a kind word fitly spoken, it all adds up.
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My Thoughts exactly
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PS: I don’t recall having seen you sign off with a big “Gary” at the end of your posts before. Is that new? Or maybe I’m just slow. It looks cool, though.
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I guess it’s a sometimes thing?
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I spread “honey” when I talk. Mainly little old ladies who love to be “honeyed”. Their face lights up with a smile. 😊
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From your writing Crissy, I could have guessed you would be one doing that. It’s you! It’s natural.
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Yes, it is.
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“Honey” wouldn’t go over big in the military, no matter what gender you were addressing, but I agree with you about showing some real interest and also a little bit of enthusiasm doesn’t hurt either. You have yourself a blessed day Gary!
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Ha…You have a great day as well Bruce
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Too Funny,
It is healthy and good to laugh at ones self in the fumbling of our words. Puts us back in humility.
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So true. It might make us “real” again.
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Too funny!
It’s so much harder these latter days in getting out of the Matrix and back into “REAL” world.
These days the phone booths are all but non existent and the ones that are left require love as a down payment to get an operator that’ll get us out.
Good humor and Love is the 🔑
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Yes, Good humor and Love really puts us on the same plane as others..
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Amen
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Baseball legend Yogi Berra once said. “ I knew where this train was going so I got off early”.
My prayer always is that others will been given the eyes to see and to know the love of God that surpasses it all.
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That being said I may still be the last one off, the stop before the end of the tracks.
And that’s okay too because I can warn the rest of the passengers.
Love always goes the distance.
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I understand that. I have the same thoughts.
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Amen
Brother of the Remnant
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Thanks for a good laugh this morning. Made my day. Just a smile works fine when I am checking out. Down here you hear honey and sugar a lot.
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Yes, a fun laugh for sure Double D
I think in our small town there are four clerks and waitresses who say honey or hon. All transplants from the south. They are naturals. We get everybody here as it’s a tourist area with 691 lakes in our county alone
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I’m one of those people who never meet a stranger, I can start up a convo with anyone, yet I would not call people “Honey” except maybe a small child. I love the way you handled the situation. 😉
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Great thoughts and wise wisdom, Gary. But then teens, I think, are still searching to figure out just who they are.
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So True Signora, and willing to do strange things sometimes just for the adventure of it.
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Thanks Kim. I’m hoping they rethought the whole “Honey” thing….it sure wasn’t natural. But it ended up funny thankfully.
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Love you Gary! Write, write, write! It is God’s conduit through your life.
Ron
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You are funny Ron. There’s too many fish to catch. I do plan on whittling down to one blog under Garyfultz.com as I don’t write enough to really keep one blog going much. I also work 10 hour days so time becomes an issue.
By the way, check out my spiritual blog. I put a song you might like there. “So Much”
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I don’t see how some folks think putting on a smile, showing interest in others, offering small kindnesses or a few kind words is a chore that has to be forced if it’s going to happen at all. There is such blessing for the giver of blessing as well as the receiver. And though scripture has made that clear for eons, recent research is backing up the truth: Kindness is good for us. (Actually, being “real” thoughtful of others can become delightfully addictive after awhile!) Great post, Gary, making a great point.
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Thanks Nancy. I sure agree. I think people have good radar for connecting with kindness and a genuine smile. Some smiles make me feel good while another makes me think I should find a mirror and see what is on my face.
When God’s love is in a smile I believe the whole world may want to know how to get what you got.
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“Homey”…that made me laugh
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It was a fun moment.
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=)
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This is real and everywhere. Maybe we value it rich now more than before. Loved the read, 😃
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Thank you. You are right , I see so many more people longing for “real”. I see more “longings” for real riches disguised as fear which is very real.
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Disguised as fear…. oh that’s so very real and true. My country has it larger than life; I guess we’re all seeing it up close now in these awful days. Praying peace and clarity, thru it all. (Apologies for my delay in replying, and thankyou for being here🙂)
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