A collection of memorable encounters

Since moving to Salt Lake City, I have come across a variety of people from all sorts of backgrounds. There are a few moments that stand out to me more than any other greetings though.

Walmart

A few months back I was rushing through Walmart as I normally do in stores. I am very much of the 'in and out' mentality. I don't usually browse, and I want to find what I am looking for immediately and leave.

I came around the corner of an aisle, searching for some shampoo. A short elderly lady turned around and smiled as she saw me. In a sweet, happy tone she exclaimed, "I have been looking all over for a young man like you! Could you please reach that bottle of body wash there for me?"

I was a little caught off guard, but of course I helped her out. She thanked me over and over again. I walked away smiling, happy that I could help someone with their day. I took a step back from my rushing mindset and realized that just a simple conversation and act brightened my day.

Bell's Canyon Hike

A couple of weekends ago, I hiked to Bell's Canyon Lower Falls. I also wrote a blog about that, so if you missed it, check it out! In that blog, I mentioned how the last portion of the hike was icing, and quite steep. It was harder than the rest of the hike, and I took care to have sure footing before taking more steps.

I am more in the moment when hiking than shopping. I soak up all of my surroundings and enjoy the outdoors as much as possible. In this element, I am more likely to give people a quick "hello" or "how are you" as I pass them on the trail.

I came up on an older lady with trekking poles taking her time ascending the difficult portion. I passed her and said hi, like usual. She returned my greeting and mentioned how beautiful the weather was. The conversation continued and we got to talking about hiking in general and how much she loves it. Even though her legs weren't as strong as they used to be, she was still out on trail, exploring new areas.

After a short chat, I continued forward ahead of her to the waterfall. On my way back down the trail, I passed her again almost at the top. I smiled and offered her and encouraging "You are almost there!"

Again, just a simple conversation was all it took to make my day a little bit better.

Lake Blanche

My last encounter I want to recap, happened during one of my earlier hikes after coming to Salt Lake City. I was hiking up the trail and came across a group of National Forest rangers working on a tree that fell over the trail. One of the rangers looked at me and went "Can you tell me about the watershed laws in this area?" I began to list out some of the points about dogs, using the bathroom a certain distance from water, no swimming. She was surprised I could quickly name them after being off-guard. I explained to her that I read the signs before starting my hike.

She smiled wide and went "Wow! Someone reads our signs!" We laughed and she reminded me of the few watershed laws I didn't remember.

Conclusion

If there was a morale to take away from each of these stories, it would follow along the lines of being nice to everyone around you. A simple conversation, joke, or even a smile can have such a meaningful effect on someone's day, no matter how trivial.

Interested in following along with my journey more or connecting with me? Make sure to follow me on my socials!

Until next time!

-Hawkin