something nice.

the "i saw you" section of the chicago reader offers a glimmer of hope for those of us stumbling through life as an unattached person in what seems like a constantly multiplying entity of couples. it gives us hope that the simple, mundane acts of a smile on the street, serving a couple in the restaurant, or sharing an elevator have the possibility to make an impact on an otherwise insignificant interaction. 

it kind of makes my day to read things like this:

Hi! We shared an elevator, and you asked if the coffee shop in the lobby had good hot tea. You also had the most radiant and captivating smile that I have ever seen; so captivating in fact, that I couldn't take my eyes away from it long enough to check and see if you were wearing a ring. If you were (wearing a ring, that is), please simply accept the sincere compliment that your genuine beauty and charm completely blew me away and brightened the whole of the rest of my day. If no ring was there, and you would like to say hello and maybe grab a nice tea or coffee sometime, feel free to send me a message.

and, then, you think--what if people have seen me this way, and i've simply dismissed them on basis of first impressions and shallow reviews and all of this? it makes me reconsider my daily interactions, even if superficial, because i guess in all our lives, bumping into others ultimately has some kind of effect on others...no matter how lasting the interaction.