When Lewis and I were in Japan (as well as China, Spain, France, and Italy), people were gracious to greet us. Strolling through their hometown, if a group of locals spotted us, they went out of their way to greet us. They were happy that we enjoyed their surroundings. Some of them spontaneously offered us a cookie/treat, as a sign of welcome/gratitude. It happened many times. (Fearful Americans would say "Don't accept gifts from strangers" and "Hide within your own gated community").
Maybe Americans (New Yorkers particularly) should be less snarky and choosey, when it comes to meeting new people. Maybe they shouldn't say, "When I saw him at the grocery store, he was unshaven and his hair wasn't groomed, so I'm not interested." Or "She did little things that disqualified herself from my checklist." To me, it seems unwise and ungracious to behave like that, as if newcomers need to surpass your checklist... or that you don't need to get to know them before making a decision.
Latest example: A lonely (and superficially choosey) friend accepted my offer to be introduced to someone whom I thought was a "good match". I set it up casually. I invited my friend to visit me at home, while this guy was there helping me do some work. I thought that seeing how helpful and handy he was would impress my friend. My friend judged the guy based purely on his clothes and the dust on his hands (from helping me).
My friend rapidly asked what the guy did for a living. When the guy replied that he was "between jobs", my friend misjudged him. My friend chose to ignore everything else that made up the man. It was my friend's loss.
The guy is attractive.
He's athletic.
He trains for marathons and runs them for charity!
A former model, he maintains his physique (and friendships).
A former soldier, he's respectful, neat, and orderly.
Yet, he never lets it dampen his fun spirit.
He's curious, desires new experiences, and admires history and antiques.
He loves to travel, and he does so often.
Animals love him!
People appreciate that he can work with his hands.
He also has a great relationship with his loving (wealthy) family.
Don't judge a book by its cover. A great person can be within the temporary situation that you see. Discover more. Take the time to get to know them. Are you really that busy? If you think you are, see where you waste most of your time. Allocate time to discover great people that Life is dangling right in front of you.
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