At some point in history, somebody originated the phrase "Have a nice day!" It was a very simple expression, and it didn't take much effort to say, but throughout the centuries it has become a staple of conversation. In this day and age, we think very little about this remark that we say countless times every day. But someone at some point in time, had to make a conscious decision to end their conversations, with a pleasant and friendly, "Have a nice day!" I can't help but wonder just how that came about. Of course, there's no way of knowing, but perhaps the story goes something like this:
A young boy, who I'll call Thoughtful, sat outside his little grass hut on a bright and clear summer day. The breeze seemed to take the bite out of the 100-degree afternoon. The shepherd's pouch that he carried on his side was stuffed full of tiny treasures that a little boy collects. In the childish innocence of youth, this day seemed to be the most splendid day he could remember.
As he sat and watched both adults and children move from hut to hut in their tiny village, he noticed that many of the people seemed sad, or even angry. Even though the same bright sun was beaming down on them, they still seemed unhappy. Thoughtful had always cared a lot about the way people felt. He had always helped Mom carry the water back from the spring, because it made her smile. On particularly cold nights, he made a point of carrying Dad some hot broth while he tended the sheep, because he liked to see him sip the tasty liquid with a smile on his face. Now Thoughtful began to wonder how he could make everyone that he met smile.
This was a big problem for him. He thought about his problem for many days and nights. At first he considered trying to think of jokes that would make everyone laugh. But, Thoughtful reasoned, he wouldn't be able to have enough jokes for everyone. Dad told him that gold coins could make people happy but since he was poor, he wouldn't be able to do that either. Finally, Thoughtful thought of a very good plan. Since people had to make up their own minds whether they were going to be happy or sad, maybe they just needed to be reminded to be happy. Perhaps if he ended every conversation with a polite reminder to have a nice day, it would help to remind them.
That very day Thoughtful tried his idea out. First he told the village potter to "Have a nice day!" To his delight, the old man smiled a very friendly smile and nodded his head.
"Well, you have a very nice day yourself young man!" The potter's tired old hands found their work to be just a little easier that day, because of Thoughtful's nice reminder.
Soon other people picked up Thoughtful's habit. The little phrase spread through villages, crossed the language barrier, and even found its way onto all the continents. It has survived wars, changes of culture, and most importantly the test of time.
Now keep in mind that this is just a story. I really don't have any way of knowing who it was that coined the phrase, "Have a nice day," but doesn't it sound Thoughtful to you |
