Remember what you are

We are all human beings, and even though we all face different struggles and situations, we share many of the same struggles. During times of crisis, we tend to forget this. Not long ago during the Covid-19 pandemic, I went to get new tires for my car. It was later in the afternoon and the place that I was getting new tires from was closing indefinitely after that day.

They were quite busy and the estimated wait time was two hours. I impatiently sat down in the waiting room. There was an older gentleman also waiting there. I spent some time checking the news and the weather on my phone. Once I had finished with that, I decided to try taking a nap. The gentleman remarked that he wished that he had brought a pillow. I chuckled and agreed.

At that moment I was faced with a decision. Do I engage this man in conversation, or do I proceed with my nap? I was quite tired and I was probably never going to see this man ever again. However, talking with him and sharing in our discomfort roused a spirit of kinship in me.

I decided to engage him in conversation. Once our waiting was finished, we went our separate ways. As I was driving home, I was struck by how positive I felt. I expected to be frustrated and upset at having to wait for that long, but instead, I felt happy. While talking we found several things that we had in common besides being stuck in that waiting room. Connecting on a human level made the time fly by instead of dragging on. We both left that place happier for having been noticed and related to.

Working at CKH Consulting has provided me with the opportunity to work in an environment where people and community centric behavior is encouraged. Communication technology is a key part of our toolkit. Even while using fantastic communication tools it is easy, during the busyness of the day, to lose sight of the fact that there is another human being on the other side of the communication medium.

Do not get caught up in the panic or craze of the moment. Remember that all around you are other human beings sharing the same basic struggles. Take a minute to make someone else feel better and you might find your mood improving too.