GRIFTER’S TALES
PEOPLE · LANGUAGE · CONNECTION
By Colin Lee MacLeod
A few words can show someone that you are willing to make an effort.
Start small
I like greeting travellers in their own language when I can. It does not have to become a performance. A hello, offered with a little care, is a way of stepping toward another person instead of expecting them to do all the work.
During my October Vancouver visit, a haircut at Celebrities Barber included a conversation in Spanish. The haircut was great. The chance to talk was part of what made the stop memorable.
Let the effort be the point
Having lived in Japan, I know that language is part of daily life, not just something printed in a phrase book. You use what you have, listen for what you do not, and keep learning.
A greeting is not fluency. It is an opening. The useful part is the attention behind it: I see you, I am interested, and I am willing to try. Some exchanges stay short. Others become a conversation you remember later.
Grifter’s Takeaway
Learn a greeting, use it kindly, and leave room to listen. Connection can begin with very little.
