Yesterday was my first day back in the States after ending my Race. My family picked me up from the airport in New York and we stopped by Coney Island for a hot dog before heading home.
As soon as we walked in the first thing I noticed was not the huge crowds of people in line, I wasn’t scoping out looking for cute boys, and I wasn’t looking to see who was looking at me.
The first thing I saw was an older man cleaning the condiments table. He looked so cute in his green work clothes. And my first instinct was to go up to him, pat him on the shoulder and say with a smile, “Thank you for your service with cleaning.”
But I didn’t. Because then I thought, “I’m in America now, people don’t do that.”
And now I’m sitting here regretting not going up to that man and saying those words to him. Because this is America, and people don’t do that.
I’m positive hardly anyone has ever thanked that man for his service in cleaning. And I could have been that person for him yesterday. Who knows what impact that could have made in his life. But I didn’t, because this is America and people don’t do that.
But that’s my first lesson back in the States. I am in America now, and I will be the person who does that. The World Race doesn’t end when you get back home. You are different when you come home, and instead of feeling weird about it, it should empower us to want to make a difference and surprise people with how different we are.
I missed an amazing opportunity with that man. But now I will continue praying for him that someone else will not miss the opportunity to thank him.
I went on the Race because I wanted to reach the “least of these” and give love to the people who are overlooked or looked down upon. They are all over the world, including here. So I pray I don’t miss another opportunity to spread a little love.
