Be kind to a stranger today

[Globules]

Yesterday I bumped into a friend outside Sainsbury's.

Whilst we stood chatting, a wonderful stranger interrupted our conversation to tell me how amazing I looked, how she loved my dress, how elegant I looked and how much the dress suited my colouring.

It absolutely made my day!

So I going to pay it forward today. I'm going to try and make a strangers day by being kind or complimentary to them.

I urge you to do the same!

It's a perfectly acceptable response.

You've absolutely made my day with that compliment 😘

My friend had already complimented me on my dress when I bumped into her. The stranger commented on the fact that both her and my friend were just in shorts and a t shirt slumming it. My friend agreed with her.

My friend's smile lights up a room, and she wears it often, and was super chuffed for me that the woman said what she said.

I agree with you OP, an unexpected compliment can make life seem different in seconds. I sometimes pass on a compliment if someone looks really good that day (hair, dress, boots, bag).

I still remember an old man's comment when my DD was a toddler, she's now 25. It was about how nice it was to see a toddler walking next to a pushchair and pointing out the pretty flowers in front gardens instead of being strapped in it and going at warp speed. It made him happy to see, it made me happy to hear, and DD didn't care because she was too focused on sniffing a rose 😂

In another post it would’ve been ‘weird woman I met in Sainsbury’s today!’

How does this freaking out manifest itself?

I was once in a foodie pub & had just ordered my main course when desserts were brought to the next table & the woman closest to me had one which I decided I would order. So I told her it looked wonderful & asked what it was so that I could order the same.

The woman herself was happy that someone else appreciated her choice of dessert, & gladly told me what it was. I thanked her & turned back to my own table.

End of story? No. For some time afterwards, the woman's daughter complained to her about me: can't believe that just happened, what a cheek, I'm surprised she didn't ask to taste it, etc. The woman just politely turned all her moaning aside. Maybe she was used to it.

There are a lot of people on MN who look for every opportunity to piss on the OP's chips and surprise surprise, here they all are, after having finished their snide criticism of the poster who's painting her son's bedroom wall, no doubt.

If this thread wasn't about being kind to strangers I'd tell you all to stop being such a miserable bunch of fuckers, break the habit of a lifetime and say something nice for once, why don't you?

I bet that woman's daughter is on MN. Probably started a thread about you calling you a CF.

Im nice to everyone unless they piss me off then my awful bad mouth twin takes over.

"The stranger commented on the fact that both her and my friend were just in shorts and a t shirt slumming it. My friend agreed with her"

@Globules So it gets worse? She complimented you and insulted your friend? And you thought that was nice? I can't believe it 😂

These days, she would. But this happened in the days before MN.

Yes, children, there WAS a time before MN.😁

The people commenting about the apps friend..... would you really feel that upset by someone saying your friends outfit is nice? Is that really how jelous/self concious we're getting nowadays?!?!

Jeezzz just by the repossess on this thread OP you can absolutely tell that mumsnet is not the place for niceties!!

Glad the comment made you feel good. A little acknowledgment/kindness goes along way doesn't it! It's happened to me a few times when someone has commented on something to do with me and it has made me smile/feel good! 🙂

I try to be nice to people and give compliment sometimes. I tend not to go up to people and compliment at them when they are mid conversation though.

I know somebody who does this quite a lot. Seems to do it for attention herself. May make me a charmless sod saying that that, but i do think there is a time for a nice compliment and this was not it.

I do it all the time, as I still remember the compliments I've had from strangers and how they made me feel. With age has come the confidence to say it to people!

I never do it to men though (unless I know they're gay) Another reason why women feel more supported in this life in ways men don't because it'll be seen as a come on.

I am just like you. We'd be hours stuck on that bench!

I was sitting in my car with the windows down last Sunday morning. In the Tescos car park, waiting for it to open. I’d just been to a spinning class at the gym and looked bright red and generally atrocious.

A stranger (man) came up to my window and said ‘you look fantastic!’. Now, that was not a compliment. It was weird.

That was just creepy @LoneHydrangea as most of your body would have been hidden by the car door, dash and steering wheel. Sorry you had a weirdo come on to you like that.

Sadly many of us have become cynical. I often compliment customers at my till on a piece of jewellery or their hair colour. A lady behind me in the queue at Lidl told me she loved my dress & I was really chuffed.

@PurpleSparkledPixie and @LoneHydrangea I think though that we can all tell the difference between creepy and someone just being nice. This is about people being nice. And yes, generally it's female to female.

Yuck @LoneHydrangea

Yuck yuck yuck.

@RabbitsRock I used to do the same when I worked at Tesco. It meant I ended up having regulars. My favourites were "The crazy sisters". They asked me to call them that! Every Friday night, they'd wait in my queue, no matter if mine was the longest in the store, just so we could have our weekly chat.

Hmmm I agree that it’s nice to be nice in general but I also agree with those saying to honour of your way to compliment somebody is a bit weird and kind of sexist too. As women we are often valued for our looks or appearance and to me what I wear or look like is the least important thing about me so no I don’t think comments on that are particularly welcome.
Nice comments about kids or parenting is sweet- like seeing a child chatting away and saying “it’s lovely to see a wee one so bright and cheery” or similar is fine and maybe even a consoling “chin up we have all been there and you’re doing just fine” to the mum whose child is lying on the ground throwing a massive wobbly in Tesco… but a patronising comment about my looks or clothing? Nah, hard pass from me.

You really are happy for no one to think you look nice?

Well the way you come across in this message probably means I wouldn't get welcoming vibes to approach you so I wouldn't. Or you wouldn't have style people would feel the need to compliment.

What people think isn’t my business. If they want to comment on what I look like then I’d rather they didn’t as no- my looks aren’t what’s important nor is how I dress… I like to look professional and smart for work as it will make people feel I am good at my job or take it seriously I guess as I wear a uniform. But in terms of attractiveness or whatever, no. My husband compliments how I look to him but that’s because he’s attracted to me as a person.