People

I was driving to a show yesterday and got a reminder of something that's hit me before. I looked over and saw a family in the car next to me. They'd gotten something to eat, and were having lunch while driving.

So a very minor flash into someone else's life ... but what interests me so much is that every once in a while I see something and for some reason it really reminds me that over there is another interesting set of folks, with their own life, their own concerns, their own interests and I'll never meet or talk to them. But they exist and are just as important as all the folks in my own life.

It ties into a quote I heard, and while although I no longer remember the actual quote or who said it I remember the gist of it. Look at any movie scene - say a cowboy shootout in a saloon. There are the two leads, hands over their guns, about to enter a life or death fight. Now look at the background. There is a guy, no lines in the movie, his only job is to hide behind some scenery. Remember, to THAT guy, he is the most important character in the movie. To everyone else, he's an extra - but to HIM, he is the most important character in the room. This is an episode of his life, and everyone else is just extras to him.

I try to remember that. I try to treat everyone else appropriately to that thought - and I have to say, that when you talk to folks and treat them with respect, it's just amazing how nice everybody is in return. Most folks will bend over backwards for you - as long as they know you'll bend over backwards for them as well.

So this is a bit rambling, but it's one of those thoughts that is fun to think about. So I thought I
would share it.