Alex

My daughter Mia and I share a love for historic hotels. We look at every photograph on the wall and read every caption about every famous person who stayed there. We read about when it was built and by whom and why and when it was renovated and all the things. We love the shadow boxes with old keys and ash trays and original promotional materials. So, as a send-off before she left for college this year, we spent the night at a local nostalgic hotel, The Valley Ho. I know, unfortunate name. In the mid-century, it was a hideaway for Hollywood starlets because the paparazzi “wouldn’t follow them to Scottsdale.” It is the place where Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood got married. She later died mysteriously when she fell off of their boat and drowned. Sounds suspicious. Sorry for the dramatic turn. But, educating Mia on their sordid Wikipedia pages only added to the hotel’s mystique. While walking to our room, we passed a bright-eyed employee who chirped, “I’m so happy you are here!” We both paused at such a kind greeting and then we responded with something like, “Thank you! We are so glad you are here too!” Later that night, we sat down for dinner in the hotel restaurant where we found that our happy friend was also the bus boy for our table. He greeted us with another “Hello! I’m so happy you are here tonight!” Again, we were overwhelmed by his friendly greeting and we responded with matched enthusiasm. He then added, “You are such kind people! I’m just so happy that you are here!” We looked at each other after he left the table. Mia asked, “Do you think he thinks we are celebrities?” We laughed at the thought of being treated so nicely only as a result of mistaken identity. But it made me think about the fact that his extra kindness was so different from the norm that we didn’t have a place for it to actually make sense in our minds. He was just making us feel way too welcome—he MUST’VE thought we were legitimate somebodies.:) We carried on like this with him all night. When we got up to leave, he gave me an actual hug. I don’t think I’ve ever been hugged by a bus boy. That sealed it for me—I went straight to find the manager of the hotel. I told him about Alex and how the way he treats guests affects the whole atmosphere of the hotel. The manager responded with a nod and a smile and a “Yes, we get that a lot!” One thing I haven’t yet mentioned is that Alex walks with a noticeable limp. It doesn’t matter. But it does. It just does matter. I don’t know why because I don’t know his story. Is he sweet because of his limp? Or is he sweet in spite of his limp? I don’t know, but regardless, it does matter because either reason is remarkable to me. One thing I know for sure is that he has been loved well and he knows that he is loved. I know that because it’s spilling over onto the people around him. Gosh, I wish we were all more like Alex. There are so many things I want to say about him. He’s not focused on his limp, but he’s focused on the people in front of him. He’s the sweetest person in the room. He’s handing out compliments without restraint. But I think the most important thing is this: He changes the atmosphere by just saying, “I’m so glad you are here!” Let's do more of that.