Small Defining Moments

"I'd rather pay $7.50 than $6.00."

• Mark Olsen
  

Small Defining Moments

There have been lots of defining moments in my life. Many of the most eye opening are age related and would appear to be insignificant interactions. Here's one of the first examples I can remember that happened almost twenty-five years ago.

It was a Saturday night and my wife and I went to out for the evening to see a movie. We had an enjoyable time. The movie had ended. We were walking through the lobby when I realized I needed to get some change so I took a quick detour to the snack bar.

I walked up to the young woman at the counter and asked her if she would be so kind as to give me some change for a twenty-dollar bill. I hadn't seen this girl before and knew nothing about her. She knew nothing about me. When I handed her the money, she reached out and took it as she said, "Babysitting money, huh?" I knew then that I didn't look like the young, dashing man of my fantastic dreams. I looked like someone's father!

Since then I've endured years of everyone I meet responding to me with a quick, "Sir;" a title I once thought reserved for knights or "older, distinguished gentlemen."

Oh! Wait a minute! I guess I'm now one of those older gentlemen! I'm a slow learner!

But, one of the benefits of being an older gentleman is that I know lots of other people of the same vintage. I was conversing with my friend's Mark Olsen and Kim Fish a couple of days ago about this very subject when Mark talked about being at a famous restaurant. He was ready to pay his bill and was standing at the cash register; I mean "point of sale computer!" When the young woman said, "that'll be $7.50."

Mark began to get his money ready when she said, "No, wait. I forgot to give you your discount."

He described his confusion (no, not Alzheimer's) because he didn't know to what discount she was referring. Then said she, "It's $6.00; I forgot to give your Senior Discount."

Mark then said to Kim and me, "I'd rather pay $7.50 than $6.00!" Then we, all three laughed.

Later, as I reflected on this, I realized that it's the smallest of things; the smallest of statements that can affect us in big ways. It's still true that the big moments loom large, but it's also true that seemingly smallish things can have huge implications.

As we age, thousands of small things all add up to our maturity, wisdom and experience. It's our ability to integrate them into our whole that will determine who we are at any one moment. Perhaps Mark showed me who he really is by being surprised at the discount being offered!

He doesn't view himself as old or all used up! He views himself as a man with lots of life to live. He's a man creating his future with confidence and enthusiasm. He's a man ready to create his greatest success in business and relationships yet. He's defining his life moment by moment just like everyone else, no matter what their age.

If you can remember just this one small thing, this one approach to life, then you'll live a life filled with wonderful definition and memories.