After many a sleepless night and many a bottle of red wine, I have concluded that life, insomuch as it pertains to impact, purpose and worth, it is all about the small stuff.
A friend of mine recently blogged about the rarity of true genius. Not aptitude, skill or talent, but the kind of genius that crosses generational, racial, cultural and social barriers. Like Aaron Sorkin. We all kind of dream of being this person: spectacular and extraordinary, capable of setting the world on fire with our voice/research/writing/art etc. We all hope that somehow our passion will incite the change we hope to see in this world. Knowing full well that the odds are against it, we all hope to be a rich and world famous teacher/CPA/systems analyst etc.
So while we all aspire to these lofty heights, I've come to believe that it isn't about genius so much. Hell, people have called Kanye West a lyrical genius and we all know where I stand on that: asshat. The times I have felt the best have not been accompanied by bells and whistles or rampant applause and camera flashes. (Well...okay that's NEVER happened, so I suppose it's a bad comparator but stick with me anyways :) ) They're usually quiet and inconspicuous moments, truth be told they usually border on mundane.
Example #1: Charlie. Charlie was a friend of mine who got very very sick and died about a year and half ago. While we originally only stopped by to see him every day because it was part of our jobs, we kept visiting long after it was no longer required. 5 to 10 minutes, once a day - that's all I did. A small enough thing, but I will never forget holding his hand two days before he died, semi-conscious in a merciful drug induced haze, he squeezed my fingers. I was there. He knew that I was there. It made all the difference.
Example #2: Old Lady at the Bagel Place. Wondie-ful Boyfriend and I went to get bagels the other morning and I was laughing as I filled up my Diet Coke from the fountain. I don't know why, WB just cracks me up sometimes. I turned to find a table and an older woman in a wheelchair caught my eye and gestured me over saying "you have a wonderful laugh, don't ever stop." I smiled, said thank you and went to find a table. 15 seconds. I kept smiling all day.
Example #3: My friend Ashleigh teaches infant swim lessons, check it out, it's super cool. She has more chance than most people I know to truly set the world on fire with what she does. Still, it's the small thing: teaching one kid to swim, to float, to save themselves if they fall into deep water. There are billions of kids on the planet, but saving one, is in and of itself HUGE.
So, three points don't exactly make a case, I know. We all want to make in impact on the world as a whole, make peace in the middle east, shatter glass ceilings and break down racial barriers. The people who have done those things? They probably didn't know at the time, it's only in retrospect that we can understand the full impact of our actions, and living for what you'll see in retrospect just seems like a bit of a waste of time. It's like that Progressive Insurance commercial, you never know how far one small act of kindness will travel.
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