Make A Difference

When my wife and I owned our first company, it grew to where we had over 100 employees. Some employees were really great, they cared about their jobs, and they cared about the customers we served. They made a difference! Other employees would struggle, and I remember my wife saying, “They’re just not engaged with their job.” Kind of a funny expression, but I get what she meant. 

I thought about that term this past week because I’m starting to realize the importance of being “engaged” with the strangers we meet. For example, I was at a Dollar Tree Store on Tuesday, picking up dozens and dozens of toothbrushes, toothpaste, combs, hairbrushes, etc. for my wife’s foster child program. Normally, the cashiers are pretty slow and kind of groan when I approach with a cart that has over a hundred items. But the young lady that waited on me smiled when I approached. On top of that, she was lightning fast and great at bagging it all up. When she was done, I took a minute to complement her and explain how foster children are really going to appreciate all the goodies and clothes packed in their new suitcases. The cashier went quiet for a minute, then smiled at me and said, “I was a foster kid and it really sucked. So you’re doing a good thing.” I smiled at that and left thinking, I just made a new friend.

Another example was on Friday when I made a quick stop at a liquor store in Mission Viejo to buy some milk and eggs. When I was paying for it, I mentioned to the clerk, who was a middle eastern man, that my wife was a really good cook, and for that matter a really great woman. Basically way too good for the likes of me. He laughed and said, “Same with me!” And then somehow we got into a conversation about people and faith, and he asked me if I was a Christian. I answered yes, and he said, “Me too.” It surprised me and he explained to me that a lot of Muslim people have converted to Christianity. He then asked me questions about my faith, and I ended up telling him the story of how I helped install a 33’ cross of top of a mountain. That’s when he smiled and showed me the gold cross hanging around his neck. Here again, I left feeling like I just made a new friend.

I see people everywhere on their cell phones and  constantly checking and posting on social media. And I think it’s great that we have a powerful tool that enables us to communicate so easily. But real power comes when we actually engage with people face to face, that’s when each and every one of us can truly make a difference! 

Strangers are just friends, waiting to happen. 

~ Rod McKuen