As I stepped onto the hotel elevator, I held the door for a middle-aged man delivering room service.

He started working at the hotel recently, and room service isn’t very common. Soon he will start a different job at the hotel, and he is excited for the switch. This is his retirement job; I don’t know if by choice or necessity.

As we exited the elevator and I wished him a good day, he thanked me for listening to him.

It was both thoughtful, and yet bizarre that he thanked me for engaging in conversation.

I suspect most people we engage to tell us their stories are thankful for our questions and our engaged listening, even though they do not thank us directly. It is a raw emotional sentiment to thank someone for listening to you.

Perhaps we can let this hotel employee speak for the many people we can choose to engage with, or not. Notice the people around us and make our home a better place.