I believe I’ve mentioned before my undying love for the series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”
An excellent show that was a lot deeper than most people gave it credit for.
One of my favorite episodes was the senior prom episode.
Buffy just wanted to go to the prom and be a normal girl.
However, all that slaying gets in the way, Angel breaks up with her so she can have a better life, and so Buffy sends her friends ahead to the prom and takes care of that night’s threat to the world by herself.
Eventually, she changes into her dress and heads to the prom, alone.
They give out the class awards, and after they have all been given out, recurring character, Jonathan, asks if Buffy is there.
He brings her up on stage and gives a speech where he says that whether or not she knows it, the whole class knows that whenever something awful if about to happen in Sunnydale, Buffy is there to save the day.
They give her a special award that they created just for her.
“Class Protector.”
He says, “”We’re proud to say that the Class of ’99 has the lowest mortality rate of any graduating class in Sunnydale history.”
Love that line.
Anyway, I “Like” Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Facebook, and they put up that quote on Friday as their quote of the day, and it reminded me of this favorite episode.
It just always makes me feel good that, even though she didn’t realize it, she was noticed.
She passed through her days, going to class and saving the world, and outside of her group of Scooby Doo evil-fighters, just figured no one noticed.
But they did.
They should have told her LONG before this.
With every stake of a vampire heart, someone should have been there to say “Thanks, Buffy!” but they, like most of us, just took for granted that she was there, taking care of business.
How often do you say thank you to the people around you?
I don’t mean to your close friends and family.
I mean to the support staff in your life that work behind the scenes.
And I mean taking a moment for a sincere, heartfelt thanks.
Not just a passing “Thanks.”
They guy who pumps your gas (for those of us in NJ), the bagger at the grocery store (whether or not he/she bagged your groceries exactly the way you wanted), the man mopping the floor in your office building, the cab driver who just safely got you to your location.
From now on, I’m going to make a point to thank these people in a way that lets these people know I really mean it.
Because I think too many of us go through our days feeling unnoticed, unappreciated, and unimportant.
And I’d like to let someone know that I notice.
Anyone with me?
Amy, I make it a point to always say thank you and I always add have a nice day/afternoon/night. It is heartfelt. I am appreciative for all that people do to help me, and have taught my kids the same. I never look for anything in return, but most of the time I get back a smile and a thank you or a surprised look then the smile. After living in VA for 6 years, I love the gas attendant, especially on the crappy rainy days. I think you are right, more people need to take that 5 secs out of their day to acknowledge the people that make your life a little easier.
Comment by Jen — March 3, 2012 @ 9:11 am |
Thanks, Jen! Such an easy thing to do!
Comment by abozza — March 3, 2012 @ 4:27 pm |
I LOVE the sentiment behind your post, and I LOVE LOVE me some Buffy. I remember being sad when the mean college vampires broke her award the following season. Quick side note from one Buffy nerd to another: Joss Whedon has continued the series in comic book form (I subscribe, LOL!), and we are now in season nine of the “show.”. Buffy is pregnant! Let me know if you ever want to geek out, and I will mail all of “season eight” to you.
Love your posts, Amy … You are my real life Family Circus. Don’t ever stop!
Comment by Mark Martin — March 3, 2012 @ 11:01 am |
If I ever want to geek out? Uh, yeah I do! Awesome!
Comment by abozza — March 3, 2012 @ 4:28 pm |
Thanking someone is such a beautifully easy thing to do each day. Let’s also not overlook our military folks. Down here they are all around us so it’s never far from our minds–just reminding you folks up north. And yes we do miss the ever-attendant gas pumpers you all have :0)
Comment by Carla — March 3, 2012 @ 12:41 pm |
Absolutely not to forget the military, Carla!
Comment by abozza — March 3, 2012 @ 4:29 pm |
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