One of my favorite Hallmark Christmas movies is "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year." In one of the beginning scenes, Ralph (a retired New York cop portrayed by Henry Winkler) is in an airport and doesn't quite know where to go or what to do. As he scans the monitors to figure out what gate he needs to go to, a person runs into him with a baggage cart.
Just recently I was at our local IKEA when someone, with a shopping cart, decided that he absolutely had to pass through right where we were standing. Not to the left . . . not to the right . . . but right where we were standing.
Just like Ralph, I wanted to yell at him, "Hey, I'm standing here!"
Have you ever felt like no one seems to see you standing there? Have you ever felt as if no one noticed you, or your skills, talents, or accomplishments? Have you ever felt like another face in the crowd of faces? I think we all have at one time or another.
Yet, it's also pretty easy to not see the other people in our lives, isn't it?
As much as I wanted to yell at the guy at IKEA, I'm sure I've pushed my cart (literally and metaphorically) where I wanted to go, regardless of whomever was in front of me. I know I've walked right past people I should have noticed, and ignored people I should have paid attention to.
We've all felt slighted. We've all felt ignored. We've all felt invisible and two feet small. So, perhaps as we go about our day to day lives (especially this Christmas season), we can try to see, notice and acknowledge the people around us, especially the ones we're most likely to miss.
Now it's your turn! Do you have a time that you especially remember when someone noticed you?