The words of Maya Angelou, that I have known for a long time, recently resonated with me again; “people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
I met a Lady “A” at a retail store. She showed me the section I was looking for and took an interest in showing me more options from what I wanted to buy. I found her to be warm and kind.
I then asked her about a particular brand, and she didn’t know about it. She then asked another lady, “B”, who told her the brand was discontinued from the store.
As A walked away, I turned to Lady B for an opinion about what I wanted to buy. I found her cold and mordant.
I decided to go back to Lady A to ask for an opinion on something I wanted to buy. She was jolly and guiding. As I concluded my purchase, I thanked her for her kindness and she became very happy and asked if I could please share the feedback with the store manager.
I did not hesitate to reply that I would do so. However, when I learned that the store manager was Lady B, I did not hesitate to change my mind about giving feedback, and could not.
As I left the store, I said to Lady A, that everyone in the store had stored stories. It may be worthwhile to keep that thought in store.
Through our work, we meet many children and young people, and this month, I am curious to know about your interactions with them and how they may have made you feel and you them…What do YOU have in store for us?
- Lalu Mokuku is the Chairperson of ASSITEJ SA and EC member of ASSITEJ International. She recently attended the SAFFRON CONSCIOUSNESS Journey to Wholeness Programme by MC , and can attest to the significance of personal values.
