The Invisible Man

I stopped and just stood still for a moment. The visible world around me was spinning like crazy! Hundreds of people going places, popping into restaurants, shopping for Christmas presents, buying groceries, filling up their cars with gas, and busy… so very, very busy.

It’s a typical Saturday morning in December in the city of Irvine. I am at a large Retail Shopping Center simply doing my job inspecting parking lot light poles for corrosion. I’m pushing a heavy tool cart loaded with a bright array of equipment, including hand tools, an impact driver, and a sophisticated and expensive Ultrasonic Thickness Gage Machine. I am even wearing a bright yellow safety vest. But yet, I am invisible.

I will be working for 6 straight hours today and hundreds of people will walk by me, jog by me, or drive by me, (sometimes way too close) and not ever truly notice me. They are too busy, and rightfully so, because for most people the Holiday Season is the busiest time of the year. But I do exist, I am a real person, and before the day is over, hopefully I will be seen… and not run over!

And then there appeared this cleaning lady. She was pushing a heavy roll cart loaded with cleaning supplies, and like me was wearing a yellow safety vest. As we passed on the sidewalk, she gave me a smile, and I waved back with an enthusiastic, “Good morning!” About an hour later, I was approached by a security guard, also in a yellow vest. He asked me what I was doing, I explained and asked him how his day was going. He responded with one word, “Busy”. Later, as I got to the perimeter of the property, I came across a landscaper, also wearing a yellow vest, diligently spreading mulch in the planter. He was working hard pushing a very heavy wheelbarrow, and never looked up at me until I was right next to him. I told him the planters looked so much nicer, and he smiled at that comment. I think he mostly smiled because a stranger took time to notice him.

When I got home from work and sat down for dinner, my wife made an interesting observation. She said, “What I like about you is that you “connect” with people. You take time to look them in the eye and listen to them. People need that and appreciate it!” First, I am really glad there is at least one thing she likes about me. Second,  it’s not always true! Too many times I have ignored the waiter who filled my iced tea before it was even empty, the gardener who kept my yard trimmed during the hot summer months, and the mailman who delivered my mail like clockwork six days a week all year long.

You know that old saying, “If you want something done, give it to a busy person.” It’s true because busy people usually figure out how to get things done. So from now on, I am going to be that busy guy… who figures out how to get things done… like turning the invisible into visible!

The Invisible Man

You’ll never get more attention from people than when you are listening to them.

                                                                                  ~ Robert Brault