I had a dog on a borrowed leash. My heart was pounding louder than my knocks on stranger’s doors.
This risk taking adventure all began with a yell from my husband calling my name from the garage. Then a chuckle came along with a wiggly tail and a long tongue hanging out the left side of a miniature doxie’s mouth. The bow legged dog started dancing at my feet. He charmed me at first glance.
My heart was lost forever when he raised on his back legs and put his front paws together like praying hands. He moved the front paws up and down with such enthusiasm that it looked like he was praising the Lord. I had to pick up the little chap.
After giving the little lost guy water and cold cuts, I started knocking on unknown neighbors doors.
My etiquette training and international protocol tutoring didn’t prepare me for this informal way of meeting neighbors in our community. However, I applied the basics of self introductions.
With a smile and looking to see what color of eyes the person had that opened the door, I told them my name and that I lived at the end of the cul-de-sac at the bottom of the hill. There aren’t too many hills in North Texas, so they knew where I lived. With a quick glance at my prancing partner, I asked if he belonged to them. This let them know why, I was knocking at their door and introducing myself. My mission made me memorable and gave us a topic to talk about that was non-threatening. The neighbors were nice.
As I sipped a cup of tea at the end of the day, I counted three blessings from introducing myself to strangers. First, Jake, the doxie was welcomed back to his home. Second, I made a life-long friendship with a neighbor that I had not met before that risk-taking day. Third, our daughter and her family gave us a doxie of our own.
Toby doesn’t walk on a borrowed leash. However, walking him in a new neighborhood does cause me to talk to strangers because of the way he dances at my feet. They are charmed and come over with a smile and a reason for a self-introduction.
Tips for Self-introductions:
1. Start with a smile.
2. Give full eye contact. Looking for the color of one’s eyes causes’ good eye contact.
3. Clearly and slowly state your name.
4. Identify yourself.
5. Tell the “why” you are there, your objective, or your need.
6. Repeat their name if they give it.
7. Ask a non-threatening question to get conversation started.
This risk taking adventure all began with a yell from my husband calling my name from the garage. Then a chuckle came along with a wiggly tail and a long tongue hanging out the left side of a miniature doxie’s mouth. The bow legged dog started dancing at my feet. He charmed me at first glance.
My heart was lost forever when he raised on his back legs and put his front paws together like praying hands. He moved the front paws up and down with such enthusiasm that it looked like he was praising the Lord. I had to pick up the little chap.
After giving the little lost guy water and cold cuts, I started knocking on unknown neighbors doors.
My etiquette training and international protocol tutoring didn’t prepare me for this informal way of meeting neighbors in our community. However, I applied the basics of self introductions.
With a smile and looking to see what color of eyes the person had that opened the door, I told them my name and that I lived at the end of the cul-de-sac at the bottom of the hill. There aren’t too many hills in North Texas, so they knew where I lived. With a quick glance at my prancing partner, I asked if he belonged to them. This let them know why, I was knocking at their door and introducing myself. My mission made me memorable and gave us a topic to talk about that was non-threatening. The neighbors were nice.
As I sipped a cup of tea at the end of the day, I counted three blessings from introducing myself to strangers. First, Jake, the doxie was welcomed back to his home. Second, I made a life-long friendship with a neighbor that I had not met before that risk-taking day. Third, our daughter and her family gave us a doxie of our own.
Toby doesn’t walk on a borrowed leash. However, walking him in a new neighborhood does cause me to talk to strangers because of the way he dances at my feet. They are charmed and come over with a smile and a reason for a self-introduction.
Tips for Self-introductions:
1. Start with a smile.
2. Give full eye contact. Looking for the color of one’s eyes causes’ good eye contact.
3. Clearly and slowly state your name.
4. Identify yourself.
5. Tell the “why” you are there, your objective, or your need.
6. Repeat their name if they give it.
7. Ask a non-threatening question to get conversation started.
Self-introduction is an act of kindness in our personal, professional, and social environments. How enjoyable it would be if you would comment on a time when a self-introduction changed your life or someone else’s life? Or comment on your favorite way to introduce yourself. Uplifting blessings.
