Written last February. Check this out if you’re interested in a way to move past feeling sorry for yourself.
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Last night in Boca Raton, Florida. We were down here for my father’s 70th birthday party (which didn’t happen because of my mom’s colitis, which landed her in the hospital - she’s OK). There were also a lot of great things that happened during the four days we were here, and I want to share one of them here.
Boca is an interesting town. A lot of affluence. A lot of really nice gated communities, a lot of elite cars, a lot of senior citizens, a lot of Jewish people (as measured by the number of synagouges we saw while driving).
And a fair amount of poverty too. Many street corners had people holding up cardboard signs asking for help and donations.
And of course a lot of people working in the service industries that cater to the rich. Desk clerks, wait staff, cleaners, custodians everywhere!
Driving back from visiting cousins I hadn’t seen in years, I saw what can only be described as a thing of beauty. A tree lined sidewalk on State Route 7. A man and a woman, both Asian, both wearing fancy waitstaff uniforms. Both riding bicycles. The man looked middle aged. I’m assuming either to or from work.
My guess: it’s the American dream. Two folks who left wherever they came from to participate in the Land of Opportunity.
I’m going to fill in the blanks from my imagination, and a bit from past experience. When I was 16 I did exactly what those two did. I worked in a catering hall, with my fancy uniform. I rode my bike to and from work, since I hadn’t gotten my drivers license yet. Riding home in the dark, four miles each way, often around 1 in the morning after working a double shift.
Not enjoying it very much, feeling taken advantage of in one respect by folks who should have treated their wait staff better.
But grateful for the money that was coming in. It was about $25 per eight or nine hours, after taxes. Money in my hand. Didn’t even have to cash a check! It was more than I ever had before, and for nearly a year I was happy to endure the aching feet and back, burnt fingers and snide comments of older workers.
And I’m still grateful for the experience. Opportunity. Perspective. Appreciation.
Lessons to be applied to whatever comes next.
And I’m taking my experience and magnifying it by a thousand, and putting it into that Asian couple on their bikes. Surrounded by BMW’s and Mercedes and personal and financial security.
And they are grateful for the experience. Opportunity. Perspective. Appreciation.
Lessons to be applied to whatever comes next.
What about you? What are you doing that feels less than you think you’re SUPPOSED to be doing? Does it make you feel small, insignificant, disappointed, angry?
Or are you grateful for the experience? Opportunity. Perspective. Appreciation.
Lessons to be applied to whatever comes next.
Have a miraculous weekend,
Larry
http://NoMoreHoldingBack.com