Tricks-of-the-trade

—“I hope someday I can tell you why I always say hello to you.”
I would say that to pretty ******* at my supermarket, who I no longer call “pigtail-girl.”
We decided that’s demeaning.
******* is a supermarket employee; she stocks produce.
Notice what I’m doing here readers: I asked her permission instead of suddenly talking to her.
By doing that, she’s more likely to wanna hear my story; plus I set her up.
Do that with my lifeguard friend at Canandaigua’s YMCA swimming-pool, and suddenly it’s drop everything! She wants to hear my story, and she wants to hear it right now.
“When I first said anything to you a couple weeks ago, it was sheer impulse.
I was walking right by you, and no pigtails.
So I said something — blurted it out — fully expecting you might take my head off, or tell me to get lost!
But no, you turned and smiled at me.
WOW!
I gotta try that again; and I did.
You turned around and smiled at me again.
So again: WOW! I gotta try that again.
Third time: you smiled at me again.
How many times so far? Probably at least ten.
Every time I say hello you smile at me!
You’re doing the exact same thing my friend **** does up at Thompson Hospital’s Physical-Therapy department.
She’s a receptionist, and she checked me in at first.
That stopped, and check-in became earlier with someone else.
So I started waving at **** as I walked into Physical-Therapy.
I quickly noticed that every time I waved at her, she’d smile at me.
So it became law: wave at **** without fail.
I don't want her thinking I’m avoiding her.
So there you have it *******: the reason why I always say hello to you without fail. I don’t want you thinking I’m avoiding you!
And if you want me to stop, just tell me.”
(I bet she won’t.)
(She’ll want you to stop.)