When I worked at Ross Park Mall there was a man who would walk though the mall every day. He did numerous laps on the top and lower levels. He always carried a fountain drink with him and he mumbled to himself. We started seeing him less frequently but then my boss noticed him at the food court collecting trays from the top of the trash receptacles. The owner of one of the restaurants at the food court had given him a job. We found out he also did the dishes and took out the trash. Tasks the other employees scoffed at. I give that owner a lot of credit. He saw something in this man a lot of people didn’t. Most people deemed him an oddball who had nothing better to do than go to the mall and walk around. But the restaurant owner noticed he was there every day no matter what, and he had an abundance of energy. So he offered him a job. And if you have ever run a business, you know employees will give crazy excuses why they can’t come to work or do a chore.

I was reminded of this yesterday when I went to the register at a store I was shopping at. The cashier who waited on me had a disability. He didn’t make eye contact, but he greeted you, made idle conversation and told you to have a nice day. You don’t get those personal touches if you wait in the long self checkout line.

In 2023 I am going to be more mindful of how I perceive people when I first meet them. Every one of us is someone else’s weirdo. And we have all been dismissed because of another person’s ignorance of what we can bring to the table. It doesn’t feel good when you have it done to you, but if you want to bring about change, it has to start with you.