I met someone new today on my morning walk with Gia.
A man in his late 30s or maybe early 40s with his lunchbox in hand headed to his car. It’s Friday and the 4th of July weekend. We greeted each other with a smile, and I said, “Good morning! Are you on your way to work? It’s a beautiful morning.” He said, “Yes,” with a slightly bummed-out tone and a smile. He asked about my dog’s breed and if she was an American Bulldog mix. He is clearly a dog lover, so I stopped walking, answered his question, and let him pet Gia while we engaged in a short conversation. His name was Steve. I learned he has two dogs, an old Shepard and a Dalmatian pup that keeps his Shepard young. He has two young kids, both boys.
Although he was on his way to his 8-5 job, he felt eager to share that he was also working on his own business. “Oh nice!” I replied with curiosity, “Tell me about your business.” He said it’s an upholstery cleaning business and that he has a couple of commercial contracts on the Las Vegas Strip. He seemed proud to share with me that his business was taking off in a good direction. He said his business was in its early stages and went on to tell me more.
He looks forward to the day he no longer goes to the J-O-B; however, it pays the bills, and that’s important. He has a house, a young family to support, and he is excited about his upholstery cleaning business. This could be the thing that gives him the freedom to choose to spend his morning with his family and dogs on days like today. For now, he does the thing he needs to do to support his family. The exit plan is in place. I left feeling excited for him. The conversation added an unexpected piece of happiness to the morning.
Connect with someone new today. It doesn’t require a full-on conversation. It could be as simple as exchanging eye contact and a smile.
