YaYa Club

Tonight I had one of those moments that just made me stop and think.

After work, I realized I had broken the wheel off my suitcase and needed another one before flying out tomorrow. A girlfriend suggested Ross at Katy Mills because they carry Samsonite and a few other good brands.

I looked at her and said, “I’m not going to Katy Mills by myself.” 😂

She said, “Absolutely, I’ll go with you.”

We pulled into the parking lot and I actually felt relieved to see a police car sitting there. That probably tells you something.

As we walked through the store, she and I looked at each other and laughed and said, “We live in a YaYa Club bubble.”

And maybe we do.

Because what struck me wasn’t the crowd or the fact that I heard several different languages being spoken around us. Honestly, I think that’s one of the beautiful things about America.

What struck me was the absence of smiles.

No eye contact.

No “excuse me.”

No “how are you?”

No little moments of human connection.

I smiled at people because that’s just what I do, and it almost felt like people didn’t know what to do with someone being friendly.

Then as we left, there was loss prevention at the door checking receipts and going through bags item by item. I understand why stores have to do that these days, and they’re just doing their jobs, but it added to the feeling that somewhere along the way we’ve traded trust for suspicion and community for transactions.

It was honestly one of the least enjoyable shopping experiences I’ve had in a very long time.

Driving home, I sat in my driveway for a minute and wondered:

When did smiling at strangers become unusual?

When did saying hello become awkward?

When did simple kindness become so rare that it feels out of place?

At YaYa Club, we fight hard against that.

We greet people.

We smile.

We learn names.

We hug necks.

We celebrate birthdays, babies, victories, and sometimes sit with people in heartbreak.

Maybe that’s our little bubble.

But if that’s a bubble, I hope I never leave it.

Because I still believe a smile is a universal language.

And I still believe the world could use a whole lot more of them.

Friday night ramble 😘

Angie