I donated blood today.
And for whatever reason, I was being short with my answers and quiet.
Sensing this, the guy doing the blood drawing didn’t try too hard to start a conversation, just was doing his job quietly and efficiently.
Right after he stuck the needle into my vein and the blood starting swirling down the tube out and away from my body, he asked me two simple questions:
- “Is that a buddha?” —Referring to my tattoo. “No, it’s a reading warrior.” —And then continued to explain what it represented to me.
- And “Are you reading anything good right now?” —An easy segue from the above discovery.
Which resulted in a fine conversation that lasted the rest of the appointment. He recommended several books to me and I to him.
The takeaway for me is to, yes, meet people where they are and if they’re being short with their answers and quiet—maybe don’t force the opposite kind of energy onto them. But, maybe don’t assume they’re in a bad mood or hate you. A few simple questions are always classy when interacting with unknown or sullen people.