It happened in the Atlanta airport—one of the busiest on the planet. I was sitting in the Delta gate area waiting to board my flight. A slightly stooped Asian woman with a droid-like expression and robotic movement was making her way through the waiting areas cleaning up trash left by passengers. She would have been one of those invisible and taken-for-granted maintenance people who serve in airports, hospitals, and office buildings except for an unexpected occurrence.
A young man more than half her age got up from his seat, walked over to her and warmly thanked her for work. Then he put a five dollar bill in her hand and said, “This is my tip for what you do that helps all of us.” She lit up gate area with her Steinway smile as she thanked him. As if awakened from a long nap, her gait was now faster, her expression focused and her manner livelier. What can you do to awaken the undervalued and unappreciated who serve you every day?
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