Heard someone share a story with my group today about something that happened to her last week. Said she was going into a spot, and there was a young fast food worker outside changing out the bags in the trashcan out back. She said the girl had an expression on her face that just made her go over to her. She said went over, actually stopped, looked the girl in the eye and said, "Hello. How are you doing" and then waited for her to answer.
Said the girl vented for about 15 minutes, they talked a little bit, and when it was over, she told her, "Thank you for listening" before she went back inside.
The story blew my mind because we, at least here in the south, ask folks that all the time to be polite, but I don't know the last time I actually cared enough to genuinely sit there and volunteer to listen to a stranger's problems. I imagine taking the time to see someone and listen to them like that probably really did a lot for that young lady.