Something To Consider: Be Nice

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Something happened this morning and it really made me take a step back and think about things.

I woke up around 6 a.m. and decided to go for a walk. I got dressed, grabbed my phone and headed out the door. As I walked to the elevator I realized that I didn't have my wallet - no cash, credit card, room key or I.D. to swipe in and out of my complex. As we're all painfully aware, I have a habit of bundling all of my valuables in one place. I walked back to my room and hoped that I'd left the door ajar, of course it was locked and shut. After going downstairs and speaking with the guard, I was informed that I would need to wait until 8 a.m. when one of resident assistants is on duty.

It was a beautiful morning and I refused to let this minor hiccup disturb my good mood. I had a nice walk and was surprised to see so many people out and about so early in the morning...and on a Saturday at that. I get back to my place around 8 a.m., thinking the R.A. would be on duty. FAIL. I was less than thrilled when the guard told me that no one would be on duty until 9 a.m. What happened next was unexpected.

The guards in the NYU dorms rotate every 8 hours or so and by the time I'd returned, a new guard was on duty. Here's a snippet of our exchange:

Me (looking through the glass partition where the R.A. usually sits): "Is the R.A. on duty? I left my key and I.D. in my room and need them to get back in."

Guard: "What's your room number?"

Me: "1005"

Guard: "Ok, well, I'll help you out this time as long as you don't tell anyone. I'm really not supposed to do this."

Me: "Oh, great. Thank you so much. I really appreciate it."

And with that, he used his key to go into the room where the R.A. sits and gave me a key to my room and told me to bring the key right back with my I.D. so I could swipe in (they are supposed to charge $25 per lockout). I got my wallet from my room and went downstairs to return the loaner key when it hit me: I've seen this man almost everyday since I've lived here and haven't spoken to him besides the occasional "good morning" or "good afternoon." Aside from his physical appearance, I knew nothing about this unique individual to distinguish him from the man sitting in his seat only two hours before. He didn't have to help me at all. He didn't owe me his kindness, and honestly, I'd done nothing to deserve it.

We spoke for a bit and introduced ourselves. Turns out this guard has a name - Frank. I plan on giving him a gift card to Starbucks (Edelman client).

Now, a moment to reflect. I know you're probably reading this and thinking "He gave you a key - big deal." But, it really is a big deal.

For the most part, I'm pretty good about speaking to people and learning names of those who pass in and out of my life everyday. It is quite easy, especially in a time-starved city like New York where everyone is rushing to get somewhere, to get into a routine and stick to it. Everyday, I walk out of this building and go to work. After work, it's drinks / dinner with friends or an event to mark off my "things to do in New York" list. But at the end of the day, I'm back at my place and hardly pay any attention to the people who sit at the front desk.

I'm going to make a conscious effort to get to know the gatekeepers in my life and I challenge you to do the same.

Lesson Learned:

• Be nice. It doesn't take much to speak to people.
  

dw