Life lessons from Dennis March

I want to share one lesson that I learned from my dad, Dennis P. March.

You may be familiar with the phrase, “Don’t talk to strangers.” Well, my dad’s lesson was very different: Talk to strangers.

He never actually spelled this out to me but his actions spoke in volumes.

My dad enjoyed people. He would strike up a conversation with every waiter and service person. Often embarrassing the family, he became buddies with the homeless man downtown and often offered him a ride. Even in his last week of life, when he was so sick he could barely talk, he reached out to the man setting up his hospital bed. I heard him ask in a voice that was barely audible, “What’s your first name?”

And, oh, the kids. He could not pass by little boys or girls in the street without shaking their little hands and saying something like, “You look like a baseball player.”

My mom would warn him that it’s a new day and age and that he may be scaring some parents.

My dad enjoyed getting to know people.

My dad had a respectable career in the FBI, was a dedicated member of the church and an avid golfer.

But what stood out most to me is that his enjoyment in life was all about people. So the lesson that I share with you today is, “Talk to Strangers.”

Don’t do it for them, do it for yourself, and when it brightens your day, thank my dad, Dennis P. March.

This story was originally published August 2, 2017 at 4:40 PM with the headline "Life lessons from Dennis March."