Niceville, USA?

When I first arrived in Dallas I couldn’t believe how nice everyone is. Not that way where I come from. In Phoenix people live in a bubble. Meaning that they keep to themselves. I’ve noticed in Dallas if someone doesn’t say hello to you they will likely at least give you a nod of the head. I call it the “Texas nod”. Back home I could walk my dogs and not care whom was walking past me. Now while juggling two dog leashes and who knows what else I actually have to do the Texas nod or say hello. Pressures on! Lol! That's alright, I'm adjusting well!

People also seem to start conversations up in just about any place. I’m on first name basis with the hostess at a local restaurant. A cashier at the grocery store loves to talk my ear off about this, that, and everything else she can think of. One of the oddest conversations I’ve had with the cashier was regarding Michael Phelps. I’m still baffled as to how Michael Phelps came up in our conversation so easily one day. It’s not like I was wearing a Phelps shirt when I came thru her checkout line. Bizarre!

One particular time at Bed, Bath, and Beyond store, I was shopping for things for my new apartment. During this shopping trip I was asked more than once by an employee if they could help me find something or if they could get a basket for me. After awhile an employee just brought a basket to me without me asking. That kind of service I really have not come across in any other city I’ve lived in. I doubt I’m the only one that does this but I’m the type of shopper that never feels I need a basket. I walk in, look around and before I know it I have more items than I can carry. Not sure why I so rarely think to get a basket.

Another example of Dallas nice, I was at a stop light recently. It was a stop light on a small street coming out of a shopping center. An older woman in a car was in the left turn lane waiting to turn. The light turned red for her. It was no longer her turn to go. However, she remained in the intersection. Did anyone honk at her to wake her up so she could see she was in the middle of oncoming traffic…nope! Everyone just politely moved around her. I was the only one that honked! Hey, what can I say? That’s how we do things in Phoenix. We use our car horns frequently. Lol!

Now this is not to say that all are nice. Every city has their share of non-nice people. There’s a person in my apartment complex I would place in the non-nice category. As a whole, this city has shocked me with their cordial ways.

Short story to end with. During the 2 day drive to my new city. As soon as we entered the state of Texas I started to see signs that said, “Drive friendly, the Texas way!”