A few years ago I had a quick layover at a busy airport. At the food court I bought a soda and started heading over to my connecting gate. As I stepped past the tables and chairs for those eating, I noticed a veteran.

He was probably in his mid-60’s and had a ball cap on. On one side of the rim it said, “Disgruntled Veteran” and on the other side it said, “Leave Me Alone."

I am normally one to accommodate other people as much as possible. However, I leaned over to him and said, “Good morning, Sir. I know you may not want to talk with me, but I just wanted to thank you for your service and tell you I appreciate what you did for us.”

He quickly stood up, looked at me and asked, “Did you put some time in?” “Yes Sir,” I responded. And then quickly added, “Marine Corps.”

A big smile broke across his face as he grabbed my hand and gave me hug as he said, “Semper Fi. Welcome home.”

“Stay safe, Sir” I said and left him to make my way over to my gate.

It sounds like a tiny, unimportant encounter, but it actually meant a lot to me. So much so that I actually had tears in my eyes as I walked away.

How could our great country have created an environment where somebody donned the uniform to fight on our behalf and returned home to a place that did not respect and appreciate him? Why do so many veterans from the Vietnam generation still feel isolated from the rest of the American public? What is daily life like when you have gotten to the point when you wear a hat to discourage people from talking with you?

I certainly have my theories about all of these questions, but those are for another day. Today though, I focus on the power of even the briefest human interaction. I have no idea if our conversation made a difference to my fellow Marine, but in those 20 seconds he had quite an impact on me. And I know that for at least a very short time I brought him some joy by simply saying, “Thank you.”

We need to show each other more empathy. We need to say “Please” and “Thank you.” We need to treat others as we want to be treated, and default on the side of respect and dignity. Basically, we need to remember that we are all in this together. Despite a generation between us, that Vietnam Veteran and I had an instantaneous connection which will stay with me for a long time.

Reaching out to each other is important. I am going to do more of it. And when someone reaches out to me, I will start being a lot more receptive. I hope you will do the same.