Sergeant and the Jolly Trolley Man: Leaving a legacy of joy
Willie is a security guard at the entrance of our neighborhood. We call him Sergeant. He works from six in the morning until two in the afternoon four days a week, just sitting in a little guard station checking to be sure anyone without proper identification stops to check in with him. A pretty boring job, by most standards. There are several different guards working this post throughout the week, but Willie is special. As you drive up to the guard house, Willie throws a great smile and a big salute to you.
Our girls love to roll down the window and give a big salute right back to Willie, which automatically makes him roar with a jolly laugh, “Ho Ho Ho, look at that salute!” It’s a real treat if you are behind the school bus when the kids all put down the windows and salute together. This makes Willie jump up, salute and laugh even harder.
After driving into our neighborhood, behind another driver who rolled his window down and exchanged mutual salutes with Willie, I heard the driver let out a great belly laugh and it dawned on me the impact that Willie had on our little neighborhood. I stopped and asked him if I could schedule a time to sit down for a cup of coffee and interview him. I knew he had to have some interesting stories to tell and I wanted to hear the secret of his joyful attitude. He graciously accepted.
What I learned was so much more Willie grew up in the south during the turbulent 60’s and 70’s. As a black man he had been tormented by the Klu Klux Klan. He had been chased down like a wild animal being hunted. He was once hung from a tree until one of the Klansman decided to let him go for future “hunting.” He watched as his father’s home was burned to the ground. He joined the United States Marines and taught others how to box. On and on, his amazing story unfolded before me. He had lived a thousand lives and experienced such horrific acts of cruelty and yet he was filled with so much joy that it spilled out onto every person in our little community and beyond.
Willie said he loves his job. His secret? He said he looks forward to giving out smiles everyday! What a beautiful legacy of joy!
I was recently speaking at the gigantic, Texan Gaylord Hotel in Grapevine Texas, and during some free time, I decided to take the hotel shuttle over to the local mall (what’s a girl to do in her free time?). There were ten or twelve of us waiting for the shuttle and this group seemed a bit grumpy. One woman was complaining that it was too hot, while another griped that the last conference speaker droned on ten minutes longer than he should have. (Thank goodness it wasn’t me.) I stood there, a silent observer of their gripey and grumbling mood.
As we boarded the trolley, the driver called out, “Welcome aboard. Isn’t it a gorgeous day in Texas?” I perked up, and answered, “It sure is.” As everyone took their seats, he introduced himself as, “Mr. Q the happy trolley driver.” And he was. He chirped out facts about the Texas Gaylord and the nearby Lake Grapevine. Seven or eight minutes later we were at the mall. As I stepped off the bus, I thanked Mr. Q for spreading happiness and told him that he was the best trolley driver the great state of Texas could ever find, and then I handed him a tip. Several of the other passengers did the same as they got off and stepped into the cool air conditioning of the mall.
The interesting part was how his attitude had transformed that group. They were all smiling, laughing and commenting on Mr. Q and his infectious happiness. He had spread a little pixie dust on this grumpy group and don’t you know that Mr. Q had to be feeling pretty good himself as he drove back to the hotel for another group of grumblers.
Are you spreading a little pixie dust as you interact with people or is there a sigh of relief after you are gone? I always say we leave a little of ourselves—good or bad—wherever we go. What will people say about you when you are gone? What legacy are you leaving?
Tags: Attitude, Charisma, Charm, Colorado, Gina Schreck, Joy, Presentation Denver, Presentation Skills