Often, I find myself at lunchtime walking the three blocks from my office to our “urban” Whole Foods to try to eat healthy. [Urban = no parking lots out front, with doors on the sidewalk]. Despite the heat in Miami in July, there was nothing unusual. There were plenty of others walking to or from the same place. But the other day I saw this cactus as I entered the store that was calling my name. I’m not one to buy plants, as anyone who knows me can attest. So I bought it along with food to go.
As I walked back to the office, with my brown paper bag in one hand and the small plant in the other, suddenly I noticed everyone looking at me and then the plant and then back at me with a smile, both men and women, sometimes with a big smile and sometimes a grin. At first, I felt really uncomfortable, but after the first block I was okay with it. It made me feel good seeing people who normally don’t smile doing so while walking in their daily routine. Go give it a try and see what response you get. If this simple plant generated that many smiles, next time I will try a bouquet!
—Joe Kohl