People are Important!
Hi Readers,
As usual I have just been waiting for some random event to prompt this post, and just as sure as regular surgery, something popped up earlier this week. I've sat on it for a few days and it must have prompted further examples to happen, or perhaps I just become more aware of and perceptive of them.
And in simple terms, it is all about how important people are.
No frills or bells and whistles about this, but often the most obvious things to us are neglected for that very reason.
This all started on Tuesday when a great friend and former colleague contacted me to say that another former colleague was being farewelled at school the next day, and would I like to come out and be part of it. This person being farewelled did my farewell when I left at the end of last year, so it was something I was really looking forward to as he has become a very close personal friend.
At first I was excited at the prospect, but then I began to feel a tad anxious as I didn't want to be seen as someone who couldn't stay away after leaving. Life moves on, and as I had decided to retire it was time for me to move on to the next phase of my life. But the thing that swayed me was the fact that this person had been so generous to me in so many ways, I felt it was disrespectful to not be there to see him off.
So off I went.
It was great to actually get out of the house for a little while, as I'm turning into "Nut Job Bob" from just sitting around all day while this leg takes its time to heal. Admittedly, I do go out for a short drive each day just to get out of the house, but this time I was going to actually be around people. All the time I have spent alone this year does tend to change you socially, and while I'm quite content with my own company, the prospect of being around so many people again did seem a tad daunting to me.
My nervousness was wiped away the moment I stepped into the front office of the school, and straight away I realised this was what I had been missing, the interaction with people.
I know that I interact with people whenever I do my shopping etc, but that is different. This was interaction with genuine smiles and warmth, and it was just so humbling after not having seen these people for about 7 months. The brief discussion wasn't about anything to do with school or work, it was about each other and just focussing on the person.
Then when I went into the larger room where the farewell was being done it was just so great to catch up with so many of the people who I had worked with so closely over the 11 years I'd spent at that school.
When I chatted with each person, it struck me later that we didn't talk about school, as that was where our connection was, but we talked about each other. It was valuing the person, rather than just banging on about work.
People ARE important!!
When I made eye contact with different people, I was finding that I wasn't seeing them in their roles anymore, but rather as how I felt to see them again. I was very fortunate to have had pretty good relationships with just about everyone there, so there wasn't any awkwardness from thinking "Geez, I hope I don't run into that person again"
Last year at meetings I would generally see people as their role more than the person. This week I couldn't have given a stuff about what their role was anymore, I was just happy to see that person again, and with the quick chats I had with different people, none of the discussion was about school.
It was about people.
The only thing that disappointed me about the visit was that I didn't get the chance to just even say a quick hello to so many others, especially when they had to leave to go back to their classrooms. The whole time I was there I was looking around at familiar faces and the first memories that were coming back were about what good people they were, and not what their job was. Any previous work hassles that may have occurred were forgotten as they were now totally irrelevant. It was all about how these people made me feel, as that is what always stays with me the most, more than what they may have done with me. I suppose there is a lesson there for all of us, in that it may not be what we do to others that counts, but how we make them feel.
People first.
Little wonder as I was leaving the building I was having a 'warm fuzzy' as I was just feeling so privileged to have been able to have spent just a short time with people who I probably didn't show enough appreciation to in recent years, but now I know how important it is to do so. The rest of my day I was in just the best place.
As I have alluded to in previous posts, once you start thinking more about one particular thing, even more similar experiences come to mind.
And here is a really obscure example that occurred more than 25 years ago when, in another life I was actually teaching Japanese!
Yep, I hear you now, "That's B.S.!!"
Detaramane たらめWell it's true Readers, I did teach it it for 3 years. I'm not suggesting that any of the kids learnt anything, but at least I was up the front "teaching" it!!!
I can still get by with a smattering of it, but like most things, if you don't use it you lose it.
Anyway, I was with a group of travelling Japanese students and they showed me some photos of themselves at various landmarks around Australia. What struck me however was that while I could see all the people in the photos, the landmark or tourist attraction was usually obscured, or hardly seen at all.
When I questioned them about this they told me that they could always find a photo of these landmarks at any time. But what was more important to them was who was there with them at the time, and what stories they could tell from each photo and the people in it. They were more concerned about who was in the photo than where the photo was actually taken. This reinforces to me how much they value people more than material things.
This has stayed with me since and has influenced what photos I take, where and who with.
On various trips around Australia and overseas I have taken thousands of photos, and the ones that I look at the most or spend the most time looking at are the ones with family and friends in them. This is because they bring back the stories associated with each photo and other things that happened at that time.
For example
My recent trip that included London. I've seen this bridge so many times, but practically had to force myself to take the photo, just to add to the collection from this trip. It didn't really add to the trip as I had nothing much to share about it. I was just walking near it, so thought I'd better take a photo. Who knows, you might be thinking that I just googled this shot!!
This photo was taken many years earlier and brings back so many more memories about what we did that day, what happened before and after the photo, and who took it.
Just by looking at it now I suddenly remember that it was just so windy that day. For the life of me, I can't remember what the weather was like in the previous photo, and that was only 10 weeks ago!!
While I'm talking about overseas trips, as I think back about the 5 weeks I spent overseas earlier this year, the strongest and most lasting memories come from my first week in NYC where I was seeing our son, his wife and the grandsons each day. We didn't do anything really dramatic each day, other than just enjoy time together. When I do look back at where we went (Central Park daily, Brooklyn Bridge etc) my lasting memories are what we spoke about, how we decided where and what to eat, how to engage the two boys etc. It was the people part that was important. I also had some time to myself where I did the obligatory tourist things, but the memories I'll take away from NYC are what I did with the people I was with.
Just to get this shot took about 8 tries as Henry was pulling faces!!
I guess this goes to show that when I flick back through l the photos I took on this trip, the ones that I look at the most are the ones including the people who I care about so much, as there are so many stories to tell about that photo.
While all the other photos that I took around Poland, Switzerland, Germany and London are still good to remember things, they just don't seem to generate the same long lasting memories.
While I'm eternally grateful for the fortunate experiences I get to have, the ones that I tend to value the most are the ones that I've shared with people.
So Readers, I'm not suggesting that you have to try and save up for an overseas trip to experience something similar to this. That has just been part of my luck to be able to do it.
It can start at home, just like mine did a few days ago where I went out to my old school for a farewell. Or it could be when you are struggling to put your bins out and you get sprung by your neighbour who gives you a well intentioned telling off for not asking them to do it. (Bless you Katie!!)
With my current situation where I'm slightly incapacitated I have been overwhelmed by the amount of help and support that has come my way from so many for the most simplest of tasks. I probably dwell on it too much, but it doesn't hide the fact that I just continually see the goodness in people and must remember to be grateful for it.
The events of this week, and the way that it has made me think more about the need to be more appreciative of other people for even just the tiniest of things hasn't been a revelation, but more of a kick in the bum to just stop and think about doing it more often.
It's something very easy to forget and neglect, but who knows how much your simple gesture might just change that person's day.
A bit of a different angle today, but I just felt the need to write about it.
Until my next post,
Cheers 😁
No comments:
Post a Comment