The Best of Us, and The …

The Best of Us, and The...

April 1, 2022

My guess is that you read the title of this post and thought, “The best of Us, and The Worst of Us.” That’s what I thought (and why I wrote it!).

I’m wondering if there’s another option?

This past month (and most months, now), I’ve traveled a lot. March seemed a bit more than others to this point, though: Indianapolis. Clarion (Iowa). Rochester (New York). Syracuse (New York). Chicago. Montgomery (Texas). Midland (Texas). I may have even missed a place or two…

And during my travels, in addition to doing a bit of reading and working (like writing this post on a plane in Houston prior to push-back and mid-air), I like to observe people. I notice what they do and how they do it. I see the best in people, and I see the

Did you do it again? I did!

And I’m wondering if there’s another frame.

The Best...

A couple of times I’ve seen women (both times it was women) have their backpacks open as they walked down the airport concourse. As they walked, of course, stuff came pouring out. They had no clue. In one woman’s case, at least $100 found itself sprawled upon the ground.

In both cases, everyone around rushed to let the ladies know. They helped pick up their items, and assisted with securing their bags.

This was, most certainly, the best.

And the...

Other times you see folks frantically rushing around. Sometimes they “cut” in line at security, or barge around others in the terminal. They’re clearly in a hurry.

On one occasion, one gentleman (yes, this time it was a man) pushed around two people in the security line to get ahead of them.

As an aside, since I’m traveling much more frequently as a consultant, I now have TSA pre-check. How I wish I had taken this step years ago! Every time I go through security I feel like “the boss.” No need to remove shoes. You can leave your belt on. Don’t need to take out the computer. Or your liquids. Just empty the pockets to send stuff through the scanner, and off you go (and, as an added bonus—as if those other features aren’t enough—the scanner is just the walk-through detector. No need to hold your hands up, be exposed to 17 kajillion volts of radiation (I’m pretty sure that’s scientifically accurate…), and then put yourself back into decency…I highly recommend TSA pre-check!

Back to the story: So this gentleman, in the TSA line that is already fast, pushes by two others to jump in front of them and put his stuff into the scanner.

My initial thought was this: “how rude.”

But then I wondered, “maybe he’s in a hurry and about to miss his flight? In any case, I’m not in a hurry. It’ll be OK. Let him go and don’t raise your blood pressure.”

Yeah, but...

I was wrong. The gentleman was actually on the same flight as me. He was even in first class—where they board before just about every other living creature! He just happened to have a moment of what most people might perceive as being rude.

He actually sat next to me as we waited to start the boarding process. He gulped a gigantic sandwich. So maybe he was really hungry and needed to eat? Maybe he’s diabetic?

Who knows…

Regardless of what prompted his actions, my inner thoughts were helpful.

I have no idea what’s going on in his life and what prompted him to “cut” in line. It is what it is.

So...

These situations remind me of a beautiful concept that my wife shared with me recently: glimmerings.

Glimmerings are the opposite of triggers (check out this beautiful article describing glimmerings and their potential impact on one’s mental, emotional, and physical health). They are opportunities to pause, notice, reflect positively. To enjoy the little things (or larger things) in life.

For me, I strive to choose to notice the best of us. And even when (okay, here it finally comes…) the worst of us might manifest, we can still choose to assume the best.

It certainly won’t hurt.

And it just might help.

Questions for Reflection

When are some times that you have seen the best of others in action?
What steps might you take to reframe the perceived negative actions of others in a positive light?