Mystery Greeter
I love coffee and every now and then on my way to school in the morning I stop into Starbucks for a quick latte and sometimes a quartet of coffees for the team. One day this Winter I walked into the coffee shop and heard “Good morning” from a man sitting in a booth perfectly pointed at the door. I was in a rush and was surprised. I barely noticed him and felt bad that I missed his greeting. As I stood waiting for my coffee I noticed him greet each person hello and goodbye and I was taken by his kindness. Regardless of who reciprocated he remained steady and retained his large smile and joyous energy. The next day, I came in for coffee and saw him again. I thought––was this a regular thing? Yes!
For weeks when I entered the coffee shop, he was there, ready to greet! Each morning it became a beautiful game for me. I was on a mission to always say hello, and in fact I was on a mission to greet this mystery greeter first! Instead of just receiving his joy I wanted to reciprocate his magic. For weeks this mystery greeter was on my mind. I even shared stories of his greeting with friends and every time I went into the coffee shop I looked forward to seeing him.
One Friday I ordered a slew of coffees. I came in with a bubbly spirit, tapped my foot to the music as I waited, and as I began to exit he stopped me. The bubble of mystery popped! He said “Excuse me, I have to know, what do you do?” I told him “I am an educator, I work with children.” With great satisfaction he made a fist and said “I knew it!” We exchanged pleasantries and then I was off. Although I left the building his joyful spirit stayed with me.
Since we exchanged words I became more and more curious. Who is this man? What is his story and why does he choose to do this each day? I knew I wanted to talk to him again yet I was nervous. What if our conversation gets weird or he isn’t as magical as I made him out to be in my mind?
This Monday morning I was on a hopeful mission to talk to him. He greeted me and after I grabbed my coffee I walked over, sat down next to him and we chatted for 5 minutes. This time I surprised him!
I shared, “You are often here each morning and you have such joyful energy. The other day you asked what I do and I have to know, what is your story? What compels you each morning to sit here and say hello?” He was taken aback and then he began to tell me his story.
My mystery greeter grew up in Minneapolis and worked as a door man. He was voted #1 door man and it was evident why! After many years he shared that he moved to Arizona with his wife and son and was a greeter for a casino. Then he worked as a greeter for Kroger and now he has lived in Oshkosh for 2.5 years to be with his son and friends. We chatted more about his why and he shared that he was looking for a coffee shop like one that he used to visit called Wildflower. He shared “I wanted somewhere that I could be myself.”
To end our conversation I shared a bit about our school and how we value daily greetings. I told him I will see him again and thanked him for bringing joy to everyone’s morning. He left me with his name, Percy, and the gift of a compliment. He shared “Wow! That was a really nice thing you did. It brought out the beauty in you and really made my day.” We shook hands and wished one another well. I can’t wait to see Percy again and address him with his name.
Greeting someone is a simple act, but it holds incredible power. Even the smallest kindness—like saying hello—can lift spirits and create meaningful connections. That’s why, at Acton, we make it a daily practice to greet every learner, parent, and visitor with warmth and intention, rain or shine. It’s one of the many ways we live out our commitment to civility and community. Seeing one another, truly seeing, and offering a heartfelt welcome is a quiet kind of heroism—one that I believe we can all choose more often. So I invite you to join me in being a little more like Percy. Who will you greet today? How will you share the beautiful gift of hello?