Hello

     One of the most priceless gifts is a smile and although I am privileged to live in one of the most beautiful cities in England it is not that common to be greeted by a hello or a smile on the street, except by tourists when I busk with my guitar.

    A feature of the 'special' (or is it 'essential') relationship with the USA is the common term 'enjoy' when you have been served a meal in a restaurant which is just too often insincere and I cannot help but notice when I walk off the street in my home city (which is one of Britain's foremost upmarket consumer meccas), and go into a clothes boutique as I rarely do but did yesterday, I was greeted by an enthusiastic 'hello' and 'are you having a good day today?'

  It is a sad fact that sales staff up and down the land are trained to be nice in order to grab your money and that the more affluence and material wealth that abounds, the less humanity of a simple smile or hello exists.

    A few Christmases ago I was spending it alone and decided to wash my car outside my house. Someone passed silently and as he walked by I called 'Happy Christmas'!

    When somebody smiles and makes eye contact in that brief moment you glow for the rest of the day and it costs nothing to give.