Compliments Are Easily Given & Mean The World To People.

A seating arrangement causes much joy.

Saturday evening was our choir's Spring Concert and a great one too. The chairs were put out and as gets done the world over, the front rows were reserved for the elderly and dignitaries...often that coincides, doesn't it. There was a volunteer / usher who made sure that the right seats were taken!

Gosh, I'll let you in on a little secret: The younger lot wouldn't sit in the front rows in any case. Sitting in the front row is far from cool except if you are at a Pop-Concert. By younger lot, I include Bob and myself. In fact, if I had to tell Bob that we would sit in the front row, he would have had a fit. Albeit a fit in public, which would be a terse aside ( talking out the side of his mouth in a cross stage-whispered tone )

" I am not sitting in the front with the oldies! Don't make me sit there! "

...or something to that effect at least.

My volunteer position was at the entrance which was at the back of the hall. The audience was made up in layers. The teens & tweens were languishing in the back looking trendy, looking at their smartphone and pretending not to enjoy the concert. Then the rows of chairs were taken by the young, definitely on the other side of young, middle aged, young at heart & of course the infamous rows reserved for the elderly.

So even without an usher, the front rows would have been used by its intended audience. But, having this enthusiastic usher there brought a huge smile to one lady at least. In fact she told me about it afterwards with great pride, glee and laughter. Her husband and she were making their way to some chairs in the front area ( yes, they wouldn't have looked out of place in the front row ) and as they were getting to them, the usher uttered the infamous & pleasing sentence:

" No, no, you two can't sit in the front row. Those are reserved for the elderly. You can sit in the next row! "

Oh, those words made their day. It was a compliment of note to them. In fact the lady was on such a high because of it that she couldn't wait to tell me about it later. With great pleasure and I could see that she was tickled pink.

A compliment, even an unintentional one, makes all the difference. A compliment given takes a few seconds but it stays with the receiver for ever...Don't stop complimenting.

Biggi