9-year-old offers compliments to anyone who stops by

ETHAN Wargo, 9, sets up a small table on his lawn each morning in Illinois, US, and waits for people to walk by. He will offer a compliment to anyone who stops to talk to him.

- THE WASHINGTON POST

Ethan launched what he calls a “compliments stand” in mid-July, spending up to five hours a day at his table. When people approach, he first asks them about their day and tries to get to know them. Then he gives them a compliment or two.

“Chatting with people is my favourite social thing to do,” Ethan said. The idea to start a compliments stand was inspired by a scene in a graphic novel he recently read in which the characters run an insult stand. Ethan said they call people goofy names rather than mean ones.

“I was just thinking of it, and I was like, ‘Hey, I feel like there’s something in there that can be used,’” Ethan said.

He decided to invert the concept to be a compliments stand instead.

“I thought that was a great idea,” Ethan said.

He handwrote a sign that said “Free compliments” and parked himself next to his twin sister, Claire, who was selling her artwork at her own stand.

Ethan decided that charging people for compliments didn’t feel right.

“I didn’t want people to pay to be happy,” he said. “Paying for something like that is very silly.”

Neighbours quickly took note of Ethan’s stand, and a steady stream of visitors stopped by.