I have a friend named Bill. He’s a friendly person who naturally takes it upon himself to welcome strangers. He’s also an excellent pickleball player.
At the park, whenever a new person shows up, Bill goes over to greet them and make sure they feel welcome. It’s an excellent habit—almost as wonderful as Bill’s third shot drop. (Please excuse the reference; only a pickleball player would understand.)
A few weeks ago, a new couple from out of town showed up to play. Bill stopped his game to welcome them. At the time, I was sitting out waiting for new people to arrive or for games to finish so I could get to a game. So the new couple came over to where I was standing so they could wait with me to join a game.
Soon, the two of us were joined by a fourth player, Brian, and we started a game. Brian and I managed to win our rematch before he said he was leaving, which left me needing a new partner. I noticed Bill’s game was ending and told him he was going to be my new partner.
He wasn’t thrilled about the idea, which seemed strange since he had previously insisted we’d be playing all our matches together. Then he explained that when he welcomed the new couple, they had seemed standoffish—especially the husband, Justin. Plus, his current group needed him to fill out their game. I told him I didn’t care about that and that he was going to be my partner, assuring him that Eilene, Sue, and Kathy could find a fourth.
As we went out to play, I asked our visitors some questions, and with each answer, Bill found common ground with Justin. As the conversation deepened, Heather and I eventually found ourselves just listening to Bill and Justin talk about elk hunting.
By the time we finished our second game, we had covered not only every type of elk hunting you could imagine, but also topics like cancer survival, motorcycle accidents, and more.
The relationship between Bill and our new friends was transformed entirely because the two of us had stopped to take the time to get to know the visitors on a personal level.
My reason for having Bill as a partner was that I knew he liked to reach out to people. For a brief moment, he tested my theory, but in the end, his gift of making people feel welcome took over, and we had made a difference in two people’s lives.
I left with a powerful reminder of the importance of including others and taking time to know them. Had we relied on first impressions or stopped short of asking questions, we all would have been worse off. Taking the chance to meet someone new helped me grow. I need to keep pushing my introverted personality to reach out more.
