It's nice when you have people!

Now I am not talking about the people who are in your family or are related to you, I am talking about those you deal with in your day to day encounters outside of the family.  I liking having people that I feel comfortable with when I go out to take care of business and errands.  It just seems to make the process a whole lot more enjoyable.  For example, if I need car work done I go to Pablo.  When I go to the hardware store there is always one particular individual (whose name I don't know!) that I go to for help.  Johnnie usually greets me at the door when I go to the market and if Francisco is at the health food store I always say "hello" to him.  Yesterday, I met a gentleman named Josh and although he does not know it yet, he is my new cable guy!  Very helpful individual.  When I go get Mexican food I always say "hi" to Anna and I now have a new contact named Jeff who is the tree trimmer.  My pool person is Troy, Miguel is the gardener and if I need some emergency repair work, I keep Jesse's card in my wallet.  Mike is my dentist and Leslie is my primary care doctor.  Oh yes!  I can't forget Paul at the Rite-Aid pharmacy.  If I need a tow truck, I give Milo a call.  When it is time for some delicious Fish & Chips, Mr. Kim and his lovely wife have a great place down the street.  When I have a hankering for a delicious hot dog, Hector is always ready at the Wienery to serve up one of his specials.

Another added benefit to having your own "people" is that they have their people.  So you can always ask "Can you recommend anyone for....."?  So the list of your people always stands a good chance of being able to expand.  It's nice to be able to say hello to a friendly face instead of just going through the mechanics of handing over your money in exchange for whatever it is you want to buy.  It kind of makes things a bit less regimented when you leave the house and venture out into the world.

So if you don't have many people that you can say hi to, introduce yourself to the next person you come in contact with that provides you good service.  Thank them for a job well done and make it a point to see them again next time you visit their place of business.  It will probably throw them for a spin when they see that you are a nice person as well and are not out to get something from them.