As we wrap up Black History Month, I wanted to share with you a couple of videos I made. It's an example of paying attention to your surroundings and caring enough to tell someone else's story.
I work out every morning at Chester Washington Golf Course in L.A. Towards the beginning of this month, I noticed that the Starter, whose name is Chuck, started making announcements on the loudspeaker that weren't about upcoming tee times. He actually gave anyone who was listening a brief history lesson about accomplishments made by Black Americans. I learned something new everyday and loved hearing the passion from Chuck's voice every morning when he was working. So one day after my workout on the driving range, I asked if I could record a few of his history lessons on my iPhone. And then I went home and put together this video:
I've been working part-time at my hometown TV station called Torrance CitiCABLE, and I told my friend/boss about Chuck and his enthusiasm for celebrating Black History Month in this special way. And she really liked the story and got the green light from her boss for me to film this follow-up story:
This story has been airing all weekend on TV screens across the City of Torrance. And it's been getting hundreds of views and lots of 'thumbs ups' online.
I want to share this story because of something my friend/boss said to me. She said, "Most people would think of the announcement as just noise, but you picked up on the fact that it was something special." That comment reminded me that too many times we can be stuck in our head so much that we fail to observe what's going on around us. Had I not cleared my mind and been in a position to listen, I could've perceived Chuck's efforts as just noise too. Chuck told me that some people don't like what he's been doing. I'm guessing it's probably because they either don't want to hear what he has to say, or they're just wanting him to tell them when their tee time is and nothing more.
I appreciated Chuck's daily lessons and will miss it when I go back out to the driving range next month. And I hope these videos and my blog here remind you to declutter your mind and be open to truly hearing those who are around you, trying to say something that can open your minds for the better.