The Gift of Nice

I knew before I moved to the Pacific Northwest that there is a nice factor in the people that live here.  I have been coming to the Portland area for almost 40 years and the little acts of friendliness would always take me by surprise.  Part of that could be said about any place outside of Silicon Valley.  San Jose and its inhabitants are just simply to busy to take time to say Hi.  The Safeway clerks would always ask "How's your day going?" but you knew that was in their job description.  Everyone there is in a hurry.  A hurry to get to work, to do the work, to get home from work.  There was rarely a moment for eye contact or a nod, let alone a conversation.  But here it is the complete opposite.  The hello and how are you doing is authentic and built into the work.  At first it was a conscience effort for me to engage in it.  I did it as a call/response.  When someone started a conversation, I felt obliged to join in.  But the longer I am  here, the more I feel it becoming part of my being.  Every encounter is an opportunity to slow down, to be nice to one another.  There is a gentleness, a feeling of kindness that pervades the environment here.  The relaxed nature that people have stems from the genuine concern they have for one another.  At this time of upheaval in the rest of society, the gift of nice is such a soft place to land.