sometimes i have the urge to say nice things to people out of nowhere. compliment them about something i’ve always noticed but never cared to mention. “i love the way you describe things.” or compliment a stranger about something i noticed right off the bat. “your teeth look so great.”

it’s surprising what you hear back from others. not just a “thank you” but something they thought about you that you would never have known otherwise.

one time, i was waiting in line behind a tall, white girl at starbucks, and i was in a good mood. we caught eye contact and acknowledged each other, so i just couldn’t help myself. “your hair is so pretty!” she immediately smiled and replied, “i was just going to say that i love your eyes!” and we had a long conversation while waiting for our coffee. she was an RTF major at UT, super pretty, wanted to go into television. it was a really nice chat.

so that’s how it’s done, boys.