Radvent, Day 6: Humbling

I don't have any deep thoughts over today's subject of humbling. I'll go down Megan's list instead.

1) Talk less today. I don't talk a lot as it is, I'm a good listener but I'm not terribly good at observing. And when I'm silent, I'm probably living inside my head-- I do tend to check out for a minute to explore some thought triggered by something I heard you say. This isn't intended to put the speaker aside so much as it is a reflex, but I've been obvious about snapping back to reality before. I'll listen in a more present way today.

2) Pick up trash you see. The ladies in my office often leave paper towels littered right next to the trash can in the restroom. C'mon, now. I sometimes pick up but am usually grossed out if they're wet, even though I know it's probably just water from handwashing. I'll pick up all of it today.

3) Ignore class rules. I am very proud (is that counterintuitive to this post?) of the fact that I am consciously kind and courteous to everyone I meet or speak with on the phone. Gandhi said that his religion was kindness, and I think that's a worthy ideal to try and attain. Even when I'm angry, I try to be factual instead of a smartass, and I have to say that it's saved me a couple of times-- more than once I've worked out a bitchy tongue-lashing in my head, only to find out the whole issue was a misunderstanding or that circumstances were out of someone's control. I sure would've hated to eat those words. 

4) Be respectful of people in service. I find it dismaying when I hear of people valuing others more, simply because of their profession. When I was in basic training, I accidentally called a captain a petty officer (meaningless in the real world, appalling in the Navy). While lambasting me for this egregious error, the captain got in my face and asked how offended I'd be if she accidentally called me a "lowly janitor." I said I wouldn't have been offended at all, since the janitors were just as important as I was and maybe even more so. She look totally, utterly confused. How is a janitor a lesser person than anyone else in the workplace? I value cleanliness, don't you? I am exceedingly grateful to have a clean office. While the executives I know guide the company towards profitability (in some opinions anyway), which translates out to my paycheck, they also aren't keeping sanitizing the sinks in the restroom during flu season or repairing the heater when it conks out or most importantly, keeping the coffee machine in tip-top shape. I think our talents in the workplace are just different and equally worthy of esteem, just as we are all different and equally worthy of esteem in our world community.