"Hi's "on a Thursday.

I was strolling around on our road after dinner, stopping occasionally to take pictures of spring scenes across the field and of birch pods on a tree next to the road. 

I saw a figure coming down the road from the north. 

As she came closer, I also saw her smile and heard a "Hi." 

Good start, I thought, on a day when---earlier in town---I'd pulled into a parking lot, opened my car window and uttered a friendly, understanding comment to a lady who was instructing her two dogs to "Down."

When you have doggie behavior to deal with in common, of course, there's understanding and an instant sense of comaraderie. 

Usually. 

The lady refused to look my way. 

Then, I added, "I'm trying to train a puppy right now." 

Again, she completely ignored me, obviously with no plans to make eye contact.

Her total dismissal left me feeling both sad and mad. 

Unfortunately, these encounters are becoming the new normal in our community. 

Happily, the lady walking down the road toward me last night shared a greeting and engaged in conversation.  

Twenty minutes later, after learning that Christine and I sure had a lot of "Annie's" in our respective families and that her daughter Annie has traveled the world like my Annie, we agreed to be Facebook friends. 

This new friend is now living with her parents at the other end of our dirt road.  

We had actually met about 15 years ago during another time when she and her family were staying with her parents. 

So, we resumed our relationship from there.  She's living here helping her elderly parents. 

We talked about our kids, places she's lived other than Sandpoint and shared a variety of other neighborhood stories. 

We also enthusiastically agreed, from this point on, to wave at each other, say "Hi" and visit occasionally. 

Amazing how powerful "Hi" can be and where it can lead for both the greeter and the recipient.  

Also, amazing how stuck-up attitudes like I had experienced earlier in the day can stick with you. 

I'll take the former any day.

Great visiting with you, Christine.   

Christine Wilkinson

Yesterday after my hair zap at Sally's Salon, I went to Sweet Lou's to meet my sisters and my brother for a birthday lunch. 

There were plenty of "Hi's" at Sweet Lou's, including my friend Stephanie, an English teaching colleague at Sandpoint High School AND a Border Collie lover.

Stephanie's daughter Jessica and her granddaughter were sitting at the table.  As usual, when I see grown kids of kids I knew as students at Sandpoint High School, it's shocking. 

Yes, it's been 20 years since I retired, but it's still hard to fathom that these kids have adult kids of their own. 

I also saw two of my high school classmates, Ruthann and Phyllis, who weren't quite sure if they recognized me as I walked toward their table. 

Sally had spiffed up my hair a bit cuz she knew I was going to lunch. 

So, on a very rare occasion these ladies saw more than a pony tail hanging out of a baseball cap. Ruthann admitted that I did look familiar but, at first, she wasn't sure. 

Post hair salon results certainly had her guessing. 

We visited briefly and then the four siblings enjoyed yakking and eating over Laurie's birthday lunch. 

Just as we were about to leave, I spotted a face with a mustache sitting clear across the restaurant. Like Ruthann, I wasn't sure but did think the person looked like John Pucci. 

By golly, as I left our table and walked closer, it was. 

"You've gotta come over to a table," I said to John, a much-beloved Sandpoint local.  He wasn't so sure but he followed.

When he arrived at the table, a reunion of two former Schweitzer Ski patrol leaders from the late 1960s began.  

My brother Kevin had served as head of the ski patrol when John came aboard.  When Kevin left, John took over and stayed at Schweitzer for several decades, eventually becoming a legend. 

John, who's performed a few marriage ceremonies,  had also participated in Kevin and Joyce's wedding party as a groomsman 54 years ago. 

The two swapped a few stories, including snippets about original manager Sam Wormington.  Before returning to his spot, John promised Kevin a ski patrol T-shirt. 

So, a few "Hi's" led to some genuine fun and meaningful moments during my day.  

It's a simple greeting but oh so important as we go about our day.  

Add a smile and a friendly acknowledgement, and you never know how powerful the gesture can be in your life. 

Happy Friday.