Happy Sunday Everyone:
I had a very strange experience driving to the airport on Friday morning with Kim. We were nearing the offramp to go to SFO. I was in the left lane, some guy was in the right lane, and the center lane was open. I came over about the same time the guy in the left lane was coming over. He pumped his brakes, stayed in his lane, I came over and then slowed down, flashed my lights, and allowed him to come in front of me. He gave a big wave, and I got choked up. Kind of embarrassing to admit, I literally almost started crying because of a random act from two strangers helping each other out. I obviously don’t know the guy, he doesn’t know me, I don’t know his political views, his religious beliefs, or his sexual orientation, nor do I care. I just know it was a very strange but cool realization of two strangers helping each other out and going about their day. Like I wanted to yell out my window, “Let’s f-ing go, buddy!”
You might read this and think, “Wow, Hunter, taking this a little far,” and perhaps I am, but I think we could all use a little more intentionality on lifting each other up and helping each other out, don’t you? You want to breathe life into this world, or you want to suck it out, it starts with one intentional act of kindness.
I can’t help but share a response from last week’s Sunday Thoughts on Chris Devin. One of our great divisional coworkers who now works with me worked with my dad 20 years ago. Here is her response:
“This week’s Sunday Thoughts reminds me of your dad. In particular, the part about Chris speaking to the parking attendant. At Tom’s celebration of life, I sat next to a gentleman that I didn’t know. Eventually we started chatting, he asked me how I knew your dad, I told him that we had worked together for years, and he was the best boss I had ever had. Then I asked how he knew him; he told me he worked at a car wash in Danville that your dad took his car to. I still think about that to this day. Imagine being such a wonderful person that the gentleman who works at the car wash you take your vehicle to makes a point to take time out of his day to honor your life. This pops in my head often when I’m out and about, doing the mundane. We would all be very lucky to leave half of the impact he left on many people. 😊”
What an incredible thought for us to carry with us. Do we treat people in such a way that they’d want to show up at our funerals to honor our lives? My dad’s my hero, anyone reading these for an extended period of time knows this, but when I hear a story like this, it’s proof of why he’s my hero. It’s why he had the number of people he had at his service. I’ll gladly make any Sunday Thoughts about my dad, but that’s not my point today. My point is, in light of the crap storm that is happening all around us, take some ownership in solving it by showing some love to everyone. It’s not that hard.
I’m not a therapist. I’m not sure if my random choking up by the simple act of allowing someone to cross over in traffic was spurred on by all that is happening around me, I just know it felt good. I’m glad I recognized it because it makes me want to do more of it.
I’ve shared this before, but one of my all-time favorite quotes (which I’m now realizing was meant for my dad) is from Robin Sharma’s father to him. He wrote a note to him that said: “When you were born, you cried while the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a way that when you die, the world cries while you rejoice.” If we all thought about that just a little more in our interactions with everyone we come across, the world would be a better place.
I beg everyone reading this to consider one simple act of kindness you can deliver to someone out there in the world with you. We have to personalize changing for the better. In the end, we’re all in this together.