Ive just been to an event hosted by a contact lens company called Coopervision. 

When I arrived a very smiley lady rushed up to me and gave me a kiss ( on the cheek )

I did recognise her, though it had been a while.

Liz now works for Coopervision and spoke to me for ages. She relayed to me that a few years ago she had worked for the Specsavers training team, and that at her first work event, feeling very self conscious, I had been a delegate.

She said that out of the hundred or so people there, that I was the only one who came to talk to her, and in doing so made her feel welcome, and that she’d always be grateful to me for that.

I told her that so often these days I feel the same way, in this chair – like the new kid at school, or the new boy in the office – awkward and alone, just wanting someone to come and talk to me.

Thanks to Liz, Pardeep and Paul for not making me feel that way, today