That's Not My Job

One of my favorite things to do with the nice weather is to get in an early yoga class, then drive down the road to the local Starbuck’s to enjoy a cup of coffee or tea while I sit out on their great front patio and do my work. In fact, I’m sitting there right now writing this blog.

Less than five minutes ago, a woman that I’ve talked to here before on the patio was wiping down the table she was sitting at. Not only did she wipe down her table, but she went from empty table to table and cleaned them as well and she even wiped down mine as well. I offered to do it, but she did it anyway. She said, “I went in and asked them to wipe down the tables outside, but they were so busy that I asked for the towel and said I wouldn’t mind doing it myself.“

This may seem like a little thing, but to me, it’s not small at all. How many of us would offer to help do a job that wasn’t our responsibility rather than complaining that it wasn’t getting done? Wiping down the tables took about two minutes. The tables got cleaned, we’re both happy about that, and the generous act relieved someone who couldn’t walk away from what she was doing. This type of generosity bonds people and build a sense of community. It encourages people to be kind and helpful and to make every situation more pleasant. I think about how differently this situation could have turned out had she demanded that the tables be cleaned by an employee. It would have left a dark cloud on the patio. Instead, her attitude illuminated everything. It doesn’t take acts of heroism to make this happen–the little things really are the big things. And no job is too small or too beneath us. We’re all here together and making this world a better place is everyone’s job.