(Originally written March 17, 2009)
On Sunday, my cousin John (who is visiting from Utah) and I drove into Seattle for the afternoon (actually, early evening). When we parked, I asked John if he had heard of EMP (Experience Music Project). He hadn’t. When I heard this, I knew it was something we should go see. John likes music a lot, so I thought this was a no-brainer.
But when we arrived we found out it was closing in less than an hour. Given the $15 price of admission (at least for me, since I lost my student id), we decided it wasn’t worth it. (Hopefully, we’ll make it back there before he leaves.)
As we were standing outside of EMP I began thinking about what else we could do. As I turned to my left, I saw (and was reminded of) one of the biggest Seattle attractions – The Space Needle.
When we reached the front of The Needle we noticed it was offering rides up to the top. But there was a pretty long line outside, and it was cold, so we decided to keep moving instead. I told him The Seattle Center was just a ways up, which appealed to both of us because it was inside.
When we got inside The Center we saw people in green everywhere. After a brief second of confusion, I remembered St. Patrick’s Day was coming up.
There were a lot of people throughout the place. It seemed like there was a small “fair” going on to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. There was dancing, music, food, and little booths/stands with people selling various things.
After a brief walk around the place, we stopped to watch the dancing on stage.
There were many people doing the same. The area was crowded. Some people were eating, drinking, and chatting with their friends. There were many kids playing with (or waiting in-line for) their balloon animals.
Everyone just seemed like they were enjoying themselves. I sure was.
We probably watched the dancing for about thirty minutes. When we got up, we decided to look at some of the stands. At first, nothing caught my attention. But then I saw a cartoon artist.
As I was looking at some of the artwork the artist was showcasing, two women turned to us and asked us about one of the pieces. It was of a celebrity. Can you guess who? Here’s a hint: he wears a lot of jewelry and has his own reality show. The piece was of Flava Flav! Haha.
I’ve actually never watched the show before, but I know who he is.
Anyway, John and I ended up talking to these women for a while. About five minutes into our conversation, we began talking about our careers. Actually, by this time, one of the women was tending to her child, so it was just the three of us.
After a few minutes of speaking with her, I could tell this woman was energetic, passionate, and nice. We were discussing many different things (like me wanting to create a company). It was a lively conversation.
But one particular moment stood out to me. She voiced frustration over people not listening to her opinions and perspectives at work.
Unfortunately, I think this is common. I think many people feel this way, in both their professional and personal lives.
I’ve started to believe that the things I truly value have taken time, determination, and perseverance. And this particular moment/conversation reinforced that.
Perhaps my feelings and thoughts about this will change over time. In fact, I’d be surprised if they didn’t evolve in some way.
But I’m in no rush to find out how, or when.