# thepeoplethatyoumeetwhenyourewalkingdownthestreet
“ I even noticed the local sites that are meant to inform us had become a magnet that attracted negative commenters and they were constantly bad-mouthing our town . That really affects our morale because attitudes are contagious .”
Noticing that her own attitude was being affected , Miller decided to do something about it .
“ I just thought we can look for negative things and reasons to complain or we can look for reasons to celebrate ,” she said . She chose the latter . Now , she is constantly on the watch around her for people doing good deeds .
“ If you start looking for good , then you will see it everywhere ,” Miller noted .
Miller and Larry Martin .
As a result , her Facebook posts are spreading positivity around social media . “ I have gotten a lot of positive feedback . Everybody seems to think it is encouraging ,” Miller said . “ People say it is just so good to hear good things for a change . They also tell me they enjoy learning about new people who live here or things that didn ’ t know about people they already knew .”
For those being spotlighted , the attention can be a little humbling .
Martin said he was only doing his job and being himself when Miller came into the frame department at Hobby Lobby . He appreciated the praise that she gave him .
“ We had some customers come in and say , ‘ hey , I saw you on Ms . Joni Miller ’ s page ,’” he laughed .
Miller encourages others this holiday season to join in the effort to spread good , positive stories about people they meet when they are walking down the street .
“ This can go on forever because we have so many good people here ,” she noted . “ I keep a backlog of pictures and notes on my phone all of the time , so I am not going to run out of material .”
Miller and Andrea Williams .
Joni Miller , a former floral designer and gift shop buyer now turned blogger , uses her Facebook page to spotlight ordinary residents who are making a difference in the community .
www . meridianstar . com
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