On a sweltering Monday morning a friend and I were jogging around our apartment complex as we did every day. As we were completing our last mile I saw my neighbor, a tall man with an Ivory skin tone that was smooth as wax. He always carried a brief case and sported dark sunglasses similar to the kind worn by the guys in the secret service. As usual he didn’t speak, he proceeded to his car put it in reverse and left. Huffing and puffing trying to knock out my last mile I looked at my friend and belted out “He is so rude”. I have been living next to him for six months and he has never spoken to me, not once. I waited for her response; I thought surely she would need a few minutes to think about what I had just told her.

As her thoughts were simmering deep down in the crevasses of her brain I continued my rant “What’s so hard about saying hello to someone it only takes a second. In the midst of my rambling she said to me “Chitoka, have you ever spoken to him” We had not completed our last mile but her question stopped me in my tracks. I was only nineteen, but something hit me like a ton of bricks. It was clear to her that I had not taken the initiative to greet him first, Heck I hadn’t even made the effort. “Chitoka don’t expect what you don’t give” she said.

If you want to do better in life, the opportunity to do it will always present itself. Be ready! As fate would have it the next morning my neighbor and I were leaving out at the same time. As he approached me, in a gentle tone, I said to him “Good morning” without hesitating he greeted me back “Good morning madam” not only did he greet me he extended his hand to me. I shook his hand as I thought about the words of wisdom my friend had given me “Don’t expect what you don’t give”

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