I once walked by a mom and daughter at a public event that I was helping host. They had on the most incredible outfits, fierce makeup, amazingly messy yet intentional hairdos, and walked like they fucking owned the place. I told them that I loved their outfits and all the stylistic choices they made and was kinda obsessed with “all the choices y’all made putting this together.” The daughter told me that she liked my energy, and that was one of the greatest moments of my life.

I could be in the middle of a terrible day, and then I’ll think, “that young lady told me that she liked my energy and I definitely trust their opinions.”

No one wakes up and decides whether they’re going to be thin and -gags- perky for the day. But everyone makes a choice of some sort in their shoes, doing their nails, their hair dye, etc. If you can’t help but say something, invest a little interest in those things and compliment people on their choices. Sometimes, you’ll get way more out of the exchange than what you put in.

Note: The last paragraph was not meant for anyone who already knows this. It was meant for the terminally confused regressive folks who say “you can’t even compliment women anymore without getting into trouble.”