Today we ate family brunch at the Opryland Hotel. While walking through the hotel and then waiting to be seated, I saw many tourists. I looked at them and talked about them, but didn't speak to them. These people and families are guests in my city, and I simply ignored them.
This is indeed a small world. While walking to the restaurant, I saw a young woman with a Mississippi State sweatshirt on, my alma mater and hometown. Again, I walked right past.
Southerners are supposed to be known for our hospitality, but you couldn't tell it by my actions today. I had a chance to present Nashville as a friendly city, but I didn't. While I am hopeful that the hotel staff and other locals represented my city in a better way, I still had a responsibility to do my part.
I hope I improve next time. I hope to meet and greet strangers as if we were designed to touch each others lives just for that moment. There are just too many chance meetings in this world to let one pass because of lack of effort on my part. All it takes is a word and a smile to make a connection. It is these connections that are the unexpected gifts that make this life so extraordinary. Why would anyone want to miss those?
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