the Man with a Moment for Peace
The streets of San Francisco’s Financial District are so filled with people, that I’ve developed the not-so-admirable skill of ignoring most of them.
I’m a behind-the-desk lunch eater, so if I leave my office during the day, it’s usually because I’m trying to get somewhere. I can passively appreciate the man who sets up his keyboard on the corner, his music filling the streets and echoing off nearby buildings, but don’t feel like actively engaging the Greenpeace volunteer about the plight of the polar bears.
I realized the error of my ways a few weeks back.
I had a 4 hour meeting starting at 1:00 and knew at 12:40 that I would not make it without lunch. I dashed out of my building, was ripped off by the San Francisco Soup Company ($6 for a bowl of corn chowder? really?) and headed back to the office. I’m making good time, I thought. I’ll have plenty of time to eat my lunch and peruse Facebook before this marathon meeting.
A block from my office though I inadvertently made eye contact with a young man who was clearly soliciting something. D’oh, I muttered under my breath, quickly looking away and pulling out my blackberry to pretend as though I was checking a very important e-mail–I hope he won’t stop me. He did.
“Excuse me,” he said with a huge smile on his face, “do you have a moment for peace?”
“No, sorry.”
The minute the words came out of my mouth, I felt like a fool. I had just told this guy that I was so busy and so important that I didn’t even have a moment for peace. But it was too late to take it back. He had already turned away
As I walked back to my office, I wondered what it was that he wanted to talk about. Exactly when had I developed this knee-jerk reaction to cut people off before they could even speak?
I decided that afternoon that if someone tries to stop me on the street to hand me a flier or chat me up about their cause, I will use it as an opportunity to slow down and pause my day. If things get bad, I can always excuse myself.
Of course, now I don’t want to leave my office.
But, on the few occasions that I have, it’s been positive. In just a few weeks, I’ve received a 3 day free pass to the fancy gym Equinox, discount coupons to the frozen yogurt place YoCup, and an invitation to take a free personality test from the Scientologists!
Thank you for the Man with a Moment for Peace.
