What I See with Peter Fiorenza: It should be year-round but Christmas is good time to practice kindness

Of course, we should be pleasant to others all the time. But I reckon the Christmas period is a good time to practice kindness, even though I believe this is innate in all of us. I think the key to the whole thing is attitude — a case of looking at situations and individuals continually in a positive light. I’m a real advocate of half glass full over half glass empty, but we need to accept that everyone is not like this. We’ve all had experience with people harbouring angst. The other day, I was out and about with my weekend radio commitments, and at one stage I was parking my car and taking a load of equipment out. I realised I still needed something that was in the front, so I made my way back and I opened the door and leaned into the vehicle. As I grabbed the item, the door opened up a little further by itself and slightly hit the door of the car beside me. It wasn’t hard, but apparently enough to upset the fella sitting in the car. Through the open window I heard him snarl “That would be bloody right!” Realising what had happened, I looked in to see a middle-aged man. “I’m sorry bud,” I said with a smile on my face. He just looked ahead with a stern frown on his face. “I hope you enjoy the rest of your day,” I added. Still staring forward, not showing any acknowledgement at all, he barked, “You just keep moving mate!” I quickly retreated from the window and continued on getting my radio show sorted. I would not be honest if I said this incident didn’t upset me a little. And I did go back to check on the welfare of my car several times during the morning. But really, I was genuinely more concerned for the welfare of this fella. Yes, it would be annoying to sit there, while someone knocks their car door into your car, yet I reckon there was more going on here than meets the eye. I truly believe that this person was not happy for perhaps a lot of other reasons — reasons that I would know nothing or have no real idea about. Perhaps my saving grace, is that I’m not quick-witted. If I was, my experience with “Mr Happy Chap” could have been quite different and escalated to a full-on confrontation. Thank God, it didn’t. I hope he is OK. Christmas time is perhaps a good opportunity for us all to remember some people are doing it tough. And recognising that is indeed a blessing. Peter Fiorenza hosts Sports Shed Saturday (9am to noon) and Fiorenza on Sunday (10am to noon) on Radio MAMA and Radio Geraldton