Niceness is (thankfully) still alive

This post is more of a happy affirmation rather than an observation, but if taken in the context of human behaviour, then I’m pleased to say that people are still inherently nice. My youngest, Master V, is employed as a Trolley boy at a local garden nursery. It is his first officially paid casual job means he is privy to the perfect balance of fresh air, movement and a clientele of grey nomads with a common interest of the gardening kind. And for me, it’s a great source of character observations for my upcoming stories, but that is for another time.

Many would say that my son has a ‘kind’ face. He is empathetic to the core, and while nearly 6 ft, he stands to make eye contact with the customer in search of physical help. We have a tally each weekend he is shifted on; how many ‘good boys’ he’d receive. Being the Trolley boy means that it’s his duty to collect the stray trolleys in and around the nursery and to assist those customers and their trolleys laden with bags of mulch, pots and citrus trees to their vehicles. Sometimes it’s a hard job lugging 50kg bags into a small boot, but he does it with a smile on his face. Hence the ‘good boy’ accolades. There are some who take it one step further and tip him a crisp paper note; one fellow even went on to buy him lunch to show his appreciation.

One time Master V was asked to assist a pair of elderly ladies. He was to follow them as they circled the entire nursery and placed the heavy pots and bags of potting mix onto the trolley as they discussed whether Geraniums or Marigolds would be best to ward off the bees. Often stopping to touch a leaf or to smell the Lavender and Jasmine, they included my son in their conversations, asking him about school and the sort. They must have liked his introspective demeanour because after they paid for their wares and he packed their vehicle, they gifted him a generous tip. The policy is not to accept, but after they confirmed with his supervisor, he was awarded for his help. It was a nice gesture, it was nice that he was appreciated, and it was a nice feeling for all. Nice is the operative word.

I’ll always remember how nice it felt when he told me, a huge smile plastered across his face. I hope that those two lovely ladies remember the niceness of my son, as I certainly appreciate their niceness with him.

#retrospect #nicegensture #nurseryfolk #genteelnature