say sumpin nice

The Doctor held his scapple in hand while the nurse hovered over him.  A cancer needed to be cut out of my leg.  No biggy these days.  The trouble was we were reminiscing about Star Wars as my Doc is a big Star Wars fan.  I did the “I am your Father” thing and they both burst into laughter.  The Doctor told me not to do that as he could accidently cut off my arm and he was not sure the nurse would sew it back on.  They are good people and I have told them so.
I realize my world view is probably a bit Pollyanna like but it seems so often tributes are paid to people after they have gone.  Recently we have seen people pass away and you hear many folk say good things about the person that you never knew.  It is too late to tell someone good things after they have gone.
This also happens when someone retires from Parliament.  Out of the blue all these good things are said.
I also think of my dad and others I will not see again this side of eternity.  Hindsight is a great teacher.
I have therefore made it a policy to say something good about a person to their face.  Of course a pre-requisite is that I mean it.  It is really interesting though, as some folk really do not know how to handle it. Many take it in their stride while others are flabbergasted and don’t know what to do.
I saw a great example of this the other day.  I told one person I thought they were efficient and friendly.  They liked it and took it in their stride.  The other I told that I was glad they were there.  Well they did not know what to do.
I think so many are used to negative things being said that they are all at sea when something positive is said about them.  My cousin posted a perfect example of this on his Facebook site.
A teacher walked into a classroom full of students and commenced to write on the board, 9 x 1 = 7, 9 x 2 = 18, 9 x 3 = 27, 9 x 4 = 36 etc.  By now all the students were sniggering.  When he asked why, they told him the 1st calculation was wrong.  He said he deliberately did that to highlight that it does not matter how much you get right, it is what you get wrong that is noticed.  I have so found that. 
I remember writing a 2 page letter and it was one sentence that was the focus of the recipient (in that instance others put them right about their assumption - but for days their focus was on their assumption).
So for me of late if I think something nice and the time is appropriate, I will say it.