This I Believe...

I believe in saying Hello.
I believe in leaving an extra five minutes early for class just so you have enough time to stop and talk and say hello without being late. (Really, friends hate walking with me because I have to say hello to everyone I know). Honestly, I feel bad if I don't say hello to someone, even just in passing.
Every August, right before school starts, I get a little nervous. There's so many things to worry about: my outfit (well, I wear a uniform, so let's say my hair), new friends, old friends, good teachers, bad teachers, and what if I get food in my teeth?! My dad would always call me down by saying, "A smile and a hello goes a long way." This has been my motto for as long as I can remember.
It's so simple. Hello. One word can brighten a whole person's day, so why not?
I believe in saying hello. I believe in asking people about their day and really caring about the answer. I believe in trying to bring a little joy to the dreary walk to and from class. Yeahhh that's a little cheesy.
But, really. We've all had those days when your professor just lectured for two hours, and at the very end of class he hands you back a C paper. Then when you get outside the building the sky is grey, it looks like its gonna rain and you live on the other sign of campus. But as you're walking at a pretty rapid pace back to your dorm, you hear your name against the wind. As you turn around, you see one of your classmates, who you're sort of chums with, walking up to you. This guy has a huge smile on your face, says Hey, and asks how your day is. All of a sudden, you feel a little lighter, a little warmer, a little happier.
I pledge myself to saying hello to not only people I know, but to giving a smile and a greeting to those I don't know. Why not make everyone's day a little brighter?


P.S. I went home this weekend and surprised my parents. They had no idea! After they stopped screaming from shock, their first question was, "Do we still have to come up for Parent's Weekend?"