Carry Ons

This week, I found myself wandering around a crowded airport on the way back from seeing a client, looking for an empty seat near an outlet that actually worked (rather than the oh-so-common kind at airports where you plug something in and it just falls right back out. . . those are the worst!). 

As I did, I heard a young woman on the phone, offering to go to therapy to repair her relationship with one of her parents. 

Another gentleman on the phone shared news of his loved one's upcoming biopsy.

A young man, talking on speakerphone to “POOKIE BEAR ” shared that his next work trip would be an international one, at which point she squealed, “I WANT TO COME WITH YOUUUUUUUUU!" 

Another man, walking swiftly through the airport, said sharply, “This is the last time you're talking to me. Next time, talk to my lawyer.” 

This all took place within about twenty minutes, and it was a great reminder of something I talk about often:

Everyone is carrying something in their metaphorical (and this time, literal) backpacks. 

While sitting in a meeting, or boarding a plane, or joining a call, we all have things in our backpacks that we are carrying, which may not be known or understood by the people around us. 

A possible inquiry for the week: what might change if we moved through the world remembering that everyone we encounter has an entire story we cannot see?

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