Influential Things

“We were just talking about the influential things in our lives.”

- Jessi Butterfield

Influential Things

I had been fishing in Dana Point two days ago using sardines as bait.  Now I am sitting in LAX with lots of other people feeling like a sardine myself.  I felt lucky to find a seat while I waited in the commotion and as I began to settle in, my phone rang. I looked at the called I.D. and recognized my daughter’s number.

“We were just talking about the influential things in our lives.”  Jessi said.   “I told Ren what you always said to us about life not being fair.  I’ll put you on speakerphone so you can tell him . . . O.K. go ahead.”

“Ren.  Life is not fair, so don’t expect it to be.”  I replied.

“I told Ren that you would say that every time I would be upset and say ‘It’s not fair.’”  She continued.

“It seems as if you have it imprinted in your mind.” Said I.

“Yes.  It is one of the most influential things of my life.”  She confirmed as our conversation was ending.

The call was finished and I questioningly looked at all of the people surrounding me, wondering what had been an important influence in their lives.  Then I remembered something that had happened just a few minutes earlier on the Hertz shuttle to the airport. 

A young couple from another country had told the driver that they were on Hawaiian Airlines in broken English.  When he got to that stop he helped them unload their heavy bags and was ready to pull away from the curb when he stopped.  There was no one else at the terminal stop.  He parked the shuttle again, opened the door and spent a couple of minutes talking with them.  When the conversation ended, he helped them pick up their bags and they all got back on the shuttle.

I watched the other passengers as all of this unfolded.  Not one person grumbled!

We drove on.  After two more stops the driver yelled out, “American Airlines.”  He pulled over; walked toward the back and helped the same couple unload their bags.  He pointed to the check-in portal and wished them well.  We drove on to my terminal.

Now I’m sitting in that same terminal thinking about life influencers and the Hertz shuttle driver is on the top of my list.  He has no way of knowing it; perhaps the most influential moments in our lives are also some of the most seemingly inconsequential moments; little words of advice or small acts of kindness.  If that’s the case, then shouldn’t we all concentrate on offering others more goodness through the seemingly inconsequential?