Eagles' Fans Everywhere

     I was in Williamsburg today visiting my daughter Hannah for parents weekend at William & Mary.  My parents-in-law also live in Williamsburg so we all went out to dinner at a nice restaurant overlooking the James River.  Our waitress, Shauna, was particularly friendly, asking if it was a special occasion and where we were from.  When we told her, she immediately wanted to know if we were Eagles' fans!  That led to a long conversation in which we learned that she was from Philadelphia and was a huge fan.  We also learned that she is recently married, had been a journalism major, and is now back in school to be a nurse.

     Shauna took great care of us throughout the meal and provided particularly personal and friendly service.  When it came time to pay the bill, I left her a larger than usual tip, and I wrote her a note thanking her for the excellent service.  I also enclosed a Starbucks gift card for good measure, and of course, I wrote "GO EAGLES!" on her copy of the bill.

Signing Up to Help

     For most people, myself included, one of our least favorite things in the world is to fundraise by asking other people to contribute to one of our "causes."  It often involves either the discomfort of talking to strangers or the equal discomfort of feeling like we're pestering our friends.  With all that being said, I made a commitment today to join a fundraising effort.

     Next year will be my 30th college reunion (how could I be that old??) at William & Mary.  For each of the 5-year reunions, a committee has been put together to encourage classmates to make significant contributions to the College in honor of that particular class reunion.  I've never participated in the solicitation part before, but I was recently asked to be a member of the committee responsible to do the fundraising.  

     As with most things, I realize that I could either look at this as a pain or a nuisance to people as well as a dreaded obligation on my part; or I could choose to see it as an opportunity to connect with lots of old friends, meet new ones, and make a big difference for W&M.  I'm choosing the latter approach.  And with that attitude, I'm actually excited to participate.  My challenge will be to maintain that positive approach throughout the process.  It always amazes me to notice how a simple "reframing" of our outlook can change everything.

In a Tourist Town

     I came down to Williamsburg, Virginia today to help get my daughter packed up for home at the conclusion of her 2nd year at William & Mary.  Williamsburg is a pretty unique town, being such a major national tourist attraction.  The town is nearly always filled with tourists, many of whom often look confused and in need of help.  That's all the opening I needed.

     I hadn't been in town long before I spotted a woman walking around the parking lot where I had left my car, looking like she was lost.  When I asked her if I could help, she explained that she was looking for "the place near the College where all the shops were."  Knowing the town as well as I do (I went to W&M as well, and am a frequent visitor), I was easily able to assist her in getting to Merchants' Square. 

     In an earlier blog post, I wrote about how I've become much more patient this year, particularly with senior citizens, as I now seem them as people I can assist, rather than as people who get in my way or slow me down.  I noticed today that the same could be said of the tourists.  They used to be annoying  as they can clog up the town and never seem to know where they're going.  Now though, my attention is more on how I can be of assistance instead of how they can be frustrating.  As usual, it's all a question of what we choose to focus on.

Time for a Thank You Note

     As I've written about from time to time this year, kindness and gratitude seem to go hand-in-hand.  Interestingly, both are also on the short list of what most researchers have found are the keys to happiness.  For my part, I've found it useful to occasionally think about various people in my life for whom I'm thankful, and to let them know.  Today was one of those days.

     My wife and I both went to the College of William and Mary, in Williamsburg, Virginia, and my daughter Hannah is fortunate enough to be there now.  Among the many people we met when we were there so many years ago is a wonderful couple who have been a part of both the college and Williamsburg communities since the 1970's.  They've been good friends of ours for many years and have always welcomed us to use their home as if it were our own whenever we're in town.  

     In addition to having a home away from home, it's a great comfort to know that Hannah has an adult support network in Williamsburg (together with her grandparents who are also there now!).  There's nothing like old friends who you can count on and with whom you can always simply be yourself.  Today I sent these friends a note letting them know how much I appreciate them.