When It Comes to Greetings, I’ll Go First

A simple greeting can make an ordinary walk feel warmer and more human. On a summer morning by the sea, I was reminded that sometimes all it takes is for one person to speak first.

Perhaps the rainy season has finally ended. The sky is a brilliant blue, and the breeze feels pleasant.

As long as I stay out of the direct sunlight, the heat is still bearable.

 

I took Anne to the beach, and although it was early in the morning, there were already many people there.

It had been a while since we had gone all the way to the sea. Rows of temporary beach huts had been built, making me feel that summer had truly arrived.

While walking, I greet the people we pass.

In Japan, people do not often exchange greetings with strangers. My wife, however, greets almost everyone, and recently I have begun to do the same.

Hardly anyone greets me first, but when I speak to them, they usually respond.

Perhaps that is enough.

 

I also speak to foreign tourists.

They often seem unexpectedly pleased and reply warmly.

My English is far from fluent, so I speak only in simple phrases. Most of them are not native English speakers either, however, so we somehow manage to understand one another.

I once asked a tourist where he was from. I thought he said Australia, so I said,

“It is winter there now, so the Japanese heat must be difficult for you.”

He corrected me and said that he was from Austria.

“Europe is hot too,” he replied, and we continued talking for a little while.

For a moment, I felt like a grassroots goodwill ambassador.

Still, I wished I had immediately thought to ask,

“Are you from Vienna or Salzburg?”

The conversation might have become a little more enjoyable.

I still have a long way to go when it comes to saying the right thing at the right moment.

Greetings make people feel better, and they can also help make a neighborhood safer.

That is why, rather than simply waiting for others to greet me, I would like to keep taking the initiative myself.

Sometimes a small connection begins with nothing more than one person deciding to say hello first.

 

・・・

bearable
Able to be accepted or endured, even if it is not comfortable.
耐えられる、我慢できる

exchange greetings
To say hello or offer polite words to one another.
挨拶を交わす

far from fluent
Not able to speak a language smoothly or skillfully.
流暢とはほど遠い

grassroots
Starting from ordinary people rather than from governments or large organizations.
草の根の、一般市民による

goodwill ambassador
A person who informally promotes friendship and mutual understanding between people or countries.
親善大使

take the initiative
To act first instead of waiting for someone else to act.
率先して行動する

say the right thing at the right moment
To choose words that are suitable and thoughtful for a particular situation.
その場にふさわしい気の利いたことを言う