Free samples by the way. GoodWorkCards.com/free

I am glad they have time to volunteer. I gave them both a Mini-Thanks card and they were appropriately appreciative.

Harry was at a back table by himself doing Voter Registrations. Even though I am already registered I sat down by him and spent about 17 seconds chatting. He got a card too. He was quite tickled. Everyone likes a little attention.

It’s so easy to do a little something that makes folks feel good.

Then I see that the hat has a sleeve for a ball point pen.

So, I look right at him and say, “Hey … Hat Guy! Cool hat. I’m a hat guy, too,” pointing to my own head with the VW cap on it. His hat read: Menards: Official Contractor something something.

Well, he seemed glad I brought it up. He walked right over and said, “Yeah, this is cool. Now I don’t have to wonder where my pen is anymore.”

“I’m a pen guy, too,” I hollered, whipping a clicker out of my holster.

“You want one?” he asked.
“Absolutely,” I said.
“I got a brand new one in the truck.”

It was brand new – cardboard backer tucked into the velcro back.

“Now when I go to Menards I can stand in line with the big boys,” I said.

“Well, you’ll still need a number, but you sure can stand in line.”

It turns out that he does some remodeling, he’s friend with Angel and she recommends him highly. I recommend him, too. At least for free hats and friendly attitude.

Sometimes it just pays to say hello.

For the most part Steve was using common terms. I’d been trying to
put two and two together. Then he said the word syneresis and two
plus two jumped into a new equation altogether. As far as I knew
we ran a red light at S. Quantum Drive and SpaceTime Blvd.

Turns out Steve’s a cheese whiz; a microbiologist Ph. D. working
with Cargill for the last 32 years, and was taking an early
morning distress call from a client in Phoenix.

It was a great opporunity to ask an industry expert what he
thought of the rumors that Kraft, Inc. was legislating against
normal business practices of small dairy/cheesemakers in
Wisconsin. He said he didn’t think there was anything to that at
all.

However, that was the same week that the big breweries were in the
news clamping down on distribution laws of micro-brewers.

I think he is too busy to keep up on all possible aspects of
industry news. I went with the old adage: The big get bigger; the
small get kicked in the rind end.

Anyway, just to prove he’s not totally sold out to the corporate
story, he does go back east a few times a year and teaches small,
craft cheese making at his alma mater. He’s usually on business
anyway and the school buys him a nice dinner and a good bottle of
scotch. I hope he visits his mother while he’s there.

Oh, and if you decide to start making cheese, remember these three
critical words of wisdom: sanitation, sanitation, sanitation.

I used to tell them I was in printing. Now I tell them I am writing a book. Better to talk in the present tense. It involves them more.

After introductions, I will often say something like: “Congratulations. You have just been promoted to Navigator First Class. As with most promotions there will be no pay raise or new office, but you will get some nifty new cards.”

And I am serious. They know the last mile better than I do. I need them to tell me where we are going. What door. What drive. Left. Right. I do not have time to read all the street numbers and have no need to be the know-it-all. Really.

It just occured to me that I could actually do something about the joke-promotion. I can give them cards. I can make it real for them. With a tiny twist of humor I can help them feel special, better, needed.

ShuttleBug: over and out!

The navigator side is the front in this case. The back, or Thank You side, is a surprise.

I’ve driven people that work at:

2-Story Creative
Abbott Labs
American Bolt
Aurora Health Care
Barrett Moving and Storage
Bucyrus Erie
Cargill
Catral Doyle Creative
Cintas
Everbrite
Federal Government
Franklin City Hall
Frontier Airlines
GE Medical
Georgie Porgie’s
Goodwill SE Wisconsin
Harley Davidson
Kohl’s Department Stores
Kraft Music
Manpower Global
Medical College
Milwaukee Valve
New Berlin City Hall
Northwestern Mutual
Oak Creek Police
Reader’s Digest
Rockwell Automation
Sacred Heart
Salvation Army
Serv-U-Pharmacy
Stonefire Pizza
US Bank
VA Hospital
WE Energies
West Allis City Hall
Wicked Hop

And, in a more random fashion,
here are their titles and/or job descriptions:

owners/employers
plumber
accountant
financial analyst
airline pilot
flight attendant
lobbyist
securities lawyer
truck drivers
shuttle drivers
engineer; Harley,
engineer; CT scanner,
engineer; scintalator,
engineer; mining equipment,
engineer; civil – bridges
nurses; oncology, surgery, general
police officers
fire and EMT
crash test dummy data analyst
assistant to WI Gov. Doyle
safety and security specialist
product specialists
priest
teachers
designers, graphic, layout, web
researchers; assistants and trainers
IT people of all stripes
GIS
Ph.D. micro-economics
cheesemaker (microbiologist)
university president (retired – also wooden toymaker and wheelchair designer)
big shovel assembler
history student
airport people mover owner
evangelical preacher
kitchen bath remodelor
nutrionist(s)
reading specialist; Children’s College
doctor – internal medicine
pharmaceutical researcher

from Cairo, Bombay, Jeruselem, Jakarta, New Dehli, Bosnia, China, Greece, Ethiopia, the Black Sea in Ukraine, Kenosha, and the rest of the good old U. S. of A.

My Volkswagen owners – quite a group.

She and her husband are expecting and moved back home from the Detroit area to have access to childcare. What would we do without our parents?

Anyway, JT is a regional manager for a national coffee place. She is all on board with the pay it forward – pat on the back kind of management style.

As I’m dropping her off she’s searching her purse apologizing for not having tip money. “Sorry. I haven’t made it to the ATM yet.”

“The best tip you could give me is a short conversation later about what happens when you hand out a Mini-Thanks card.” I said.

We keep a shuttle clipboard. Customers write their destination, name and contact info in case I need it for the return trip.

AJ is next up. He decides to get into the passenger seat. I’m glad. He’s about 23 years old and taking international business at Cardinal Stritch. He’s Indonesian, of Chinese descent and knows 5 languages.  He and his family have been in the US about 4 years. He only started English early in high school. He’s doing fine.

AJ’s last name (Indonesian) has 5 syllables and starts with a J, which sounds like Y. I knocked it out of the park.

“You’re the first white guy that got it right the first try.” he grinned. I am doing fine, too.

After lunch I take S. to work at an ‘old grocery’ at the bottom of the Hoan Bridge. The old grocery store is Groppi’s. I’ve never been there. I park the shuttle and go in. It’s like walking into history.

After I snapped a couple shots, a busload of high school students – on a cultural studies field trip – also walked into history.

I bought a decorative, holiday mini-pumpkin, strapped into the shuttle and headed west – trying to make a little sense of it all.

“That’s what my wife keeps telling me. Have fun. Let’s do something.  Lighten up.” he said.

He doesn’t know how any more. He’s got the usual excuses; kids, tough job (he’s got a job, at least), you know the list. And it’s killing him. He says. Usual excuses to the max.

He’s with a larger, regional moving and storage facility managing five dozen guys. He travels 80 to 90 minutes a day – one way – in good weather. He’s 41 years old, his wife works downtown at NM-L, he’s got three kids: 7, 3 and 15 months.

I don’t remember when I had handed him a Mini-Thanks but I do remember him asking me something like: “Am I always this happy?”, or, “How do I stay so happy?”

I told him I work at it. It’s on purpose. Later I wished I’d have said I play at it. I make light. Still on purpose.

If not this, then why don’t we all jump off the bridge?

I cannot find the quote right now, but we’ve all heard it, I hope.
“If you aren’t crying by now (or laughing, it goes both ways),
you haven’t been paying attention.”

At that exact moment we were driving through the Hale Interchange and I pointed to the amazing bowl of flourescent fall foilage.

Look. There. These are the moments. These are the only moments.

Our time was nearly up. My therapy moment over I billed him two hundred dollars.

On the way back home we were actually talking about making someone’s day a little brighter. How little it takes. How rewarding. I think we got it from the folks.

Anyway, we’re at the McDoDoos drive through – told him the story – handed him a Mini-Thanks card to give to the cashier.

I wish I could show you her smile. Blossoming slowly, it took a couple full seconds to develop.

Thank you. Keep up the good work.
We grabbed our filets and made our ways.
Simple gifts.