Dionne Humphrey
Dionne Humphrey recalls how a first impression becomes a lasting impression — and why she keeps her toenails freshly painted.
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On the first day of fourth grade, I had an unfortunate incident in gym class. Someone stole my shoes out OF the locker room. But since I painted my toenails the night before, I didn’t think my feet looked half bad. So, I walked into my Language Arts class barefoot. My teacher looked me up and down with a questioning gaze and didn’t say a word as I sat down and prepared myself for class. But when the bell rang she motioned me to her desk as everyone was leaving. I explained what happened and she loaned me a pair of flip flops she kept under her desk when her heels started to feel uncomfortable.
That very first impression she got of me will probably stick with her and me for the rest of our lives. I heard about a study that explains if someone says something negative to you, you’ll probably remember that longer than something positive. Think about it, if you got a hair cut and everyone kept giving you compliments until at the end of the day someone said, “That haircut is ridiculous.” I bet you that you’re going to remember that mean comment the next time you sit down for a haircut.
So I try to make all my first impressions positively unforgettable…and keep my toenails painted just in case.
