Let's talk about my biggest pet peeve: rude customers. I work in retail and I've had my share of difficult customers, but not like this, and not this often. I understand that life is crazy and stressful right now, but that is not an excuse to treat other people like trash. "Treat others the way you'd want to be treated" is how I was brought up. I've come to learn that it's not about the person they are being difficult with, it's them. Whether they are having a bad day or that's just who they are. Again, not a good enough excuse. Everyone has their own problems and struggles and who is to say that the person on the other end of it isn't having the greatest day themselves. You don't know what others are going through. You could have just yelled at someone for no reason and that person could have just had the worst day ever and you've just added to it.

We now have a greeter at our front door and we say hello to every customer who walks in and we tell them to have a great day as they are leaving. 3 out of 5 customers look at you and ignore you and the other 2 will engage and say hello back or ask how you're doing. Then you have the customers who ignore their cashiers and don't say a word when they are saying hello and when asked if they'd like an item wrapped they roll their eyes and say some snide remark. I know that some people think that since you're working in a retail store they feel more entitled and they feel like they are better than you. They may have a better job and make more money but that by no means makes them better than anyone. We work just as hard as anyone. Just say hello, is it really that hard?

We need to do better, we need to be kinder to each other. Anger is not the answer. So my challenge to those of you reading this is to go out into the world today and make a point to go out of your way and say hello, ask someone how they are doing. Engage a little bit! Be the reason someone smiles today. Text a friend you haven't talked to in a while, or a family member, or when you're checking out at a store, engage with your cashier, and on your way out of the store tell the greeter to have a nice day! Choose kindness every single day, I promise you will feel so much better.