Be a "Moe" in 2018
In 2017, I spent the majority of my time in Washington D.C. for my job. I spent more time in a single year flying and checking in and out of hotels than the entire previous 20 years combined. Though I like traveling and discovering new places, spending time away from my wife and family took its toll on my attitude and optimism as the months went by.
Fortunately for me however, there was an unexpected tipping point along the way that woke me up from a robotic morning routine of dragging myself through the D.C. metro system on my way to work each day. I would come to discover a bright spot in my routine that would become a small beacon of light that would boost my attitude and enthusiasm when I needed it most. That bright spot was Moe.
Moe is an extraordinary person, but for the hundreds of people that cross his path each day, he might seem somehow less than ordinary. Moe is a distributor for the Express edition of The Washington Post. On any given week, Moe probably greets and bids good morning to a thousand commuters, but every day hundreds of people pass him by as if he is not even there.
The Express is a free paper that is written to be consumed in the span of about 4 metro stops. My copy always ended its journey in the recycling bin of the Foggy Bottom Metro station, but on my best days, it started in the hands of Moe. I only started reading the paper because I lose cell signal on the Metro. But I would take one from Moe every day just as a small reciprocal token of the genuine warmth he offers strangers each day.
It is easy to have tunnel vision in a city commute. Bright spots along the way can easily go unnoticed when you’re checking Email, dreading a meeting, or thinking about a dozen things you hope to accomplish that day. But bright spots that come in the form of other people are rare blessings that make the difference between a life spent in our own head or one engaged with our fellow human beings. Amazing people intersect our lives each day whether we take the time to notice them or not.
I wish I could say I took the time to get to know Moe the first day I met him. The truth is, I didn’t really appreciate Moe until he wasn’t there for a couple of weeks. For two weeks my escalator descent into the Metro station at Pentagon City felt a little colder. Then, one Monday morning, Moe was back! I realized then that I had taken the warmth of a simple greeting for granted. I thought about all the other meaningful human interactions I took for granted while I was busy focusing on my own life. I not only wanted to appreciate them more, I wanted to become someone who gave back. I wanted to be more like Moe.
We pass by some the most extraordinary people while walking through the ordinary routines of our daily life. Yet it only takes a small, but intentional effort on our part to recognize and get to know them. Do you know the name of the street performer who blesses your day with beautiful music? Do you thank by name the barista who prepares your Nonfat, Extra Hot Caramel Macchiato with An Extra Shot with a smile each day?
This year I hope to work harder at recognizing the people that brighten my day; not just my family, friends and coworkers, but the "Moes" in my life. Though they seem to be rare, there are many people in the world who are a light to others. I think the first step to becoming more like Moe is to be more aware and appreciative of the people like him that I encounter every day.
To the "Moes" of this world; thank you all for being a bright spot in my day. I hope to be more like you in 2018. Happy New Year.
Paul Holcomb