The Power of Just That Extra Slipped-In Bit of Positivity

Just passing a work colleague in the hall, he said "Morning," I said, "Hey, mah man."

Now, I'd meant to say simply: "Hey, man" - but I stammered a bit, and it came out sounding a like a sort of funk soul "My Man" only very evenly stated - in a tone more matter-of-fact, rather than all exaggerated put-on act like you might expect: "My Mannnn!" But despite (or because of?) the subdued delivery, the difference wrought by that simple "mah man" was noticeable. He visibly brightened from that unexpected tinge of warmth!

I don't know how I feel about that intellectually - but I do know it made me feel good to brighten someone's day. The situation isn't without its complications and conflicts. I'm not really the kind of guy to go around "My Man"-ing people, and I don't want to set up that kind of expectation. In addition, the fact that it all stemmed from a mistake, from an unintended slip and not from a deliberate expression of comraderie, makes me feel a bit false about the whole thing.

But it did make me feel good. It was what I wanted to do, even if I didn't technically want to do it. So I'll just say, sometimes my tongue knows what my heart wants better than my mind does, and leave it at that.