Life: Scavenger Hunt or Treasure Hunt?
It's a stupid question. But something funny happened on the subway.
I was on the subway last week, (which I’m happy to report seems more full of regular riders and less full of people who seem like they may randomly kill me), and I found myself sitting next to a woman who was reading a book of poetry.
I sneaked a peek at a page and the first line was “Don’t look at me.” Busted.
Another thing that happened: I was at work and this guy, I’ll call him Chuck, had brought in a batch of brownies that he baked for a potluck. He was so proud of his brownies and he really wanted his boss, Bill, to try one.
“Try one, Bill, they’re the best brownies. Just try one.”
Chuck doesn’t really like me. I’m not sure why. So I try to leave him be. But I couldn’t resist this time, so I said,
“I’ll try one of your brownies, Chuck.”
He looked at me, confused, and said, ‘That’s great, but I’m watching Bill enjoy one of my brownies right now.” I smiled wider.
“OK, Chuck. I’ll just have one of these cookies then.” I reached for a chocolate chip cookie, took a bite, and said, “Hey, these are great!”
Meanwhile, an annoyed Chuck was intensely focused on Bill tasting his brownie. Bill took a bite.
“How is it?” A giddy Chuck asked Bill. Bill nodded. “Not bad.”
A semi-defeated Chuck did not get the brownie points he was shooting for. All that measuring out of the ingredients, mixing them, and then sliding the pan into the oven. Was it all you dreamed of, Chuck, when your labor of love made it into the boss’s mouth?
Where’s the lesson in all this?
You may be wondering what any of this has to do with the free wisdom you’ve come to rely on from your favorite FREE LIFE COACH.
Here’s your prescription, a twofer:
If someone doesn’t like you, don’t try to win them over, but don’t be a jerk to them either. Just be a little weird but nice around them. It baffles them and sometimes makes them say bizarre things that you can cherish later. I’ll never forget, “That’s nice, Sean, but I’m trying to watch Bill enjoy my brownie.”
Make your day a scavenger hunt, or treasure hunt, of one funny or weird thing that someone says. The line from the poem that scolded me for peeking, for example. If you pay attention, you’ll notice that just about every day someone will say something that’s funny in or out of context. Don’t just let them fly away, collect them. Pay attention. Look for them. Funny, quirky moments are a gift amid the quotidian tedium of a commute or a work potluck.
If you have any stupid things a coworker said, share them in the comments.
Have a good week, friends. And be on the lookout for weird words from strangers.