My Little Conversation Piece

When I go back and visit the States, as I recover from the reverse culture shock that ensues upon seeing scads of superstores and restaurants lining the sides of every major road, I am always struck by how friendly the complete strangers in these places are. I never really appreciated it when I lived in North Carolina, but the place is chock full of outgoing, friendly folks. Back in Hick'rey, you'd think nothing of asking a stranger in the grocery store if they'd tried the new Sara Lee frozen Key Lime pie on aisle 7. You'd absolutely expect the guy with "Ricky" stitched on the front of his shirt to hold the door for you as you exited the store with a load of shopping bags. (He might even help you to your car, especially if you were pregnant or had children, and then he'd say, "Have a nice day, ma'am," and he would actually mean it.) You would totally strike up a conversation with that lady in the waiting room at the dentist office when you noticed she was reading that Oprah's book club novel you had just finished. Okay... so maybe I am romanticizing a bit. I know that not every Dennis or Ricky has such chivalrous manners, but a girl is allowed to wax sentimental at Christmastime, right?

The point is, things are not the same her in Great Britain. Brits are just a bit more reserved typically. Many find our American "Have a nice day" to be completely daft and insincere, and some may even roll their eyes at you if you have an American accent and are overheard describing something as "cute." But I have now given birth to the ultimate antidote to British stand-offishness, and her name is Lilianna Gwyneth. Since I have been out and about with my little one, I have had countless conversations with perfect strangers who just cannot resist saying, "Ohhh, isn't she lovely!" or asking, "What do you call her?" and "How big was she born?" Just now in the doctors' office, I met two lovely ladies, and I now know all about their children or grandchildren as well as what they are cooking for Christmas dinner. I feel like I'm back in Hick'rey, y'all, and I love it! Babies really ARE such a nice way to start people, and mine has the power to charm even the most reserved of characters... even when she is sound asleep.