That you spoke to them as individuals and most people treated them as though they were no different than the food they were putting out.
Riki Koenigsberg On Sun, Dec 1, 2013 at 6:34 AM, Louis Eugene Schmier <[email protected]>wrote: > In this season of gratitude, coming out from the fog of a > Thanksgiving caloric coma, I thought I'd share what I call a humbling > "little/big" teaching moment. The place was the Marcum Conference Center > on the campus of Miami of Ohio. The occasion was the Lilly Conference on > College Teaching held during the weekend before Thanksgiving. The time was > Friday morning (11/22), about 6 am. I had come downstairs into the lobby > area for some coffee and a newspaper. Two of the Center's kitchen staff > were putting out the coffee. With a smile, I said to them, "Good morning. > How are you doing this 'brrrrr' day?" They turned towards me and stopped > what they were doing. One of them replied with a smile, "You weren't here > last year. We missed you. Glad to see you made this year." Then, they came > over and gave me a hug. I stood there, floored. Stunned. Deeply touched. > Almost teary eyed. All I could muster at the moment was a quiet and > deeply sincere, "Thank you." > > Think about it. I did, and still do. The staff! The kitchen > staff that makes momentary unnoticed appearances amid the crowd of > attendees to replenish the knosh tables! Noticed my absence a year ago! > Missed me! Were glad to see me! Of all that happened at Lilly this year, > and a lot happened, nothing touched me more than this. > > The next morning, still feeling both grateful and humbled, I asked > these people how was it that with over 600 people at the conference last > year they noticed I wasn't present and remembered me a year later--two > years since they had seen me--enough to say something the first time they > saw me. I scribbled down their answers when I got back to my room. What > do you think they said? > > Make it a good day > > -Louis- > > > Louis Schmier > http://www.therandomthoughts.edublogs.org > 203 E. Brookwood Pl > http://www.therandomthoughts.com > Valdosta, Ga 31602 > (C) 229-630-0821 /\ /\ /\ > /\ /\ > /^\\/ \/ \ > /\/\__ / \ / \ > / \/ \_ \/ / > \/ /\/ / \ /\ \ > //\/\/ /\ > \__/__/_/\_\/ \_/__\ \ > /\"If you want to climb > mountains,\ /\ > _ / \ don't practice on mole > hills" - / \_ > > > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. > To unsubscribe click here: > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13477.dbc50898cf582dfebd6d7adf4eaf9eb6&n=T&l=tips&o=30902 > or send a blank email to > leave-30902-13477.dbc50898cf582dfebd6d7adf4eaf9...@fsulist.frostburg.edu > --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=30914 or send a blank email to leave-30914-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
