Just Say Hey.

by DJ Schofield | Last Updated:October 23, 2016

This past weekend I took a hiking trip to Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina (#Gainz.) It definitely wasn’t a hike for the faint-hearted. It was extremely steep and rocky… but nonetheless I survived.

About halfway up, I had a thought pop into my mind and I began noticing a trend. Every single person I passed said “hey” or asked a question about the hike. Or I was asking them how much further it was to the top because I was about to die… but that’s a whole other story haha.

I think I noticed this because it struck me as a little odd. I’m not use to so many strangers acknowledging other strangers. But let me tell you, it makes you feel good. Something about so many people speaking to me, even if it was just hey, gave me a sense of importance.

Chicago Cubs

I was listening to a podcast a couple days after the hike and there was a similar scenario. One of the hosts of the show, John Fosco, lives in Chicago and he was talking about the Cubs and their playoff run.

He began talking about how he went to one of the Cub’s playoff games and said how everyone was shaking hands, hugging, and smiling. Obviously this is something you see at nearly any sporting event. Everyone is friendly toward one another because they have the common interest in the team.

But Fosco said something that really stuck out to me:

“I saw how 48,000 people were treating each other before, during, and after the game… and I just said to myself why can’t we treat each other this way without having a team to get behind.”

Why?

So the question I kept asking myself was “why?” Why are these people friendly to strangers in these examples? Why are they so outgoing?

I think the simple answer is because they have a goal in common. In the hiking trip, everyone on the trail has the goal to make it to the top of the mountain. In the Cubs example, everyone has the goal of their team winning the world series.

When people are striving to reach a common goal they subconsciously assume that the others trying to reach goal must be good… they must be trustworthy… they must be friendly.

But why is this any different in everyday life? I know you’ve had this happen: you’re walking down a hallway or sidewalk… it’s only you and the person about to pass you, and neither say anything.

Well this doesn’t happen while hiking… and sure as hell doesn’t happen at a sporting event. So why does it happen quite frequently in everyday life? I know what you’re thinking… “Because we don’t have a common goal.”

On a broader level we do… we are all humans that want to live a happy life. At the least, doesn’t a person deserve to be acknowledged because they are a human being with a heart, soul, and mind? Doesn’t everyone deserve respect?

Just say Hey

So this brings me to my challenge: “Just Say Hey.” The next time you see a person on campus, at school, or at work just say hey. You have no idea what that person is going through, how much they’re hurting, or how much they just need to talk to someone.

You have no idea how much simply taking two seconds out of your life can brighten another’s day. So slow down for a second. Quit being in a rush (you’re probably not actually that busy haha). Just acknowledge another person’s existence on this earth.