Everything Changed For Me in One Night (Feb 2012)

This is a story shared by a mother to her son:

It was really a big party celebrating the new season. I was off by myself sitting on a couch. At the other end of the couch sat a young woman who looked lonelier than I felt. I decided maybe I can make sure there is one less miserable person at the party, so I scooted over and say hello. As we talked, I realized that she was a stamp collector and started sharing her experience.

At first I felt uneasy and thought I was going to be bored and lonely. But as she talked, I became fascinated as she related countless legends and mysteries associated with stamps. She explained why some stamps are worth millions. The longer she talked, more people who were there drifted over until she is surrounded by a circle of interested listeners.

At the end of the evening, we were all saying good-night and she thanked me for being responsible for her most enjoyable evening in her life. Later that night, I couldn't sleep, trying to figure out what I had done. Basically all I done was to sincerely show interest in another human being and in doing so, I had changed her life and made the party more enjoyable for everyone.

From that night onwards, I no longer cared whether anyone noticed me. I just made sure I noticed everyone else. This has made me to be among the most popular girls in school.