I was parking the car yesterday, on my way to buy some tank tops for me and some pants for Allen. I got out of the car and was getting my purse out when a random woman walking by stopped and said, "You look so cute!"
Let me back up a bit. The DC metro area is not, like, a super friendly place. JFK is famously credited with saying the DC has "Southern efficiency and Northern charm." This is not to say that everyone is a jerk, but it's not like a town in the South where people say hello to you on the street (even when they don't know you! gasp!). Everyone mostly keeps to themselves, and everyone complains about how ridiculous the tourists are. (Stand on the right, walk on the left! Jeez!!)
Every once in a great while, if you are in DC proper, with a map and looking lost, someone will stop and ask if you need help finding something. But generally speaking, it's head down (or on cell phone or iPod) and no eye contact. I generally employ these tactics myself. It's a big city, and if I'm walking somewhere by myself, I'd prefer to not run the risk of getting trapped by a crazy person. (There are plenty of those, too.)
So when that woman stopped the other day to offer four small words of kindness, I was both surprised and really, really touched. It literally made my day. Now, I think I'm pretty cute in general, if a bit, um, well fed at this stage, but honestly, no one was stopping me before to offer compliments on my appearance. I have noticed that I get more smiles, more offers of assistance, more random kindness, and easier access to bathrooms now that I am preceded everywhere by a baby bump. It's like magic and I love every minute of it.
Maybe that's the secret to a polite and caring society - just pretend everyone you meet is pregnant.
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