It's the little things...

I'm off today.

I was going to sleep in a little, but I forgot to turn off the alarms in my phone, so they still went off and woke me up early. Oh well.

But I still could take my time reading the paper and waking up before I went downstairs to grab a coffee (yes, I'm still drinking coffee), and breakfast.

I served up some fruit and a cup of coffee and sat down to continue reading the paper, and listen to the news on the television, in my home-away-from-home Hampton Inn. As I was heading back up to my room, walking through the lobby, I glanced at the reception desk in the lobby and was greeted by a friendly smile, and a cheerful and almost sing-song "Good Mor-ning!"

I carried a smile with me up four flights of stairs to my room. What a nice way to start the morning.

I was channel surfing the other night, and stopped on C-Span 2. An elderly, well spoken black gentleman was seated in what looked like a small, living room-like home office setting, speaking to a smallish audience. I was enthralled for the next hour and a half or so, as the author of "To Sir, with Love", E. R. Braithwaite, held forth on his life, and the experiences that led him to write a book.

It would have never happened, had he not a brief conversation with a man in a park. The man suggested that perhaps he should consider teaching. It had never occured to Mr. Braithwaite before, but it changed the course of his life. He never saw the man again.

I don't recall whether I saw the movie, all those years ago. (The book was published in 1959, the movie released in 1967.) Certainly, I'd heard the song of the same name made famous by one of the first one name stars: Lulu.

It seems the book is out of print now, although it is still available via auctions and used book stores. I believe that I'll track down a copy.

A core belief of Mr. Braithwaite, was the idea of respect. A belief that I hope to instill in Mattea, Noah and Grayson. I'd like to read about a black man's experience in London, teaching rebellious, lower socio-economic white teenagers, in an era before the common acceptance of this situation. And I'd like to see how he cultivated and earned their respect. Sure, I could rent the movie, but I want to get it from the horse's mouth, not filtered through some director's interpretation.

A smile, and sing-song "Good Mor-ning!"

A conversation with a stranger in a park.

Channel surfing. (See... channel surfing can be a good thing!)

It's the little things that can change a life.