Just Jack
“Hi, my name is Jack…how are you, Jack…doing well…I just finished a project I’ve been working on for 25 years…stop by when you finish writing…I want to show it to you”
I met Jack Friday morning at Starbucks. When I finished my coffee and writing, I sat down next to him to see his project. He is 65 years old, enjoys meeting new people, likes the younger ladies, is proud of being Jewish, travels back and forth to Israel, and is a “Wall Street Guy” as he put it. So, what is his project? He has a developed a program he says that predicts the performance of the stock market. He showed me a few graphs on his netbook and said the program was a spreadsheet. I’ve been around technology long enough to know the amount of super-computing resources required to do any simulations or modeling regardless of the application. He asked if he could send me his program to “take a look at.” I could tell it was important to him, and I gave him my email address.
He went on to tell me he was both happy and sad about being finished with his project. He then told me he was manic depressive; his bosses were trying to push him out of his job, he was from Brooklyn, asked what brought me to New York, did I need a tour guide, what was I doing, and on and on. He was all over the place with his conversation. I smiled, laughed, and injected here and there. It really did not matter to me as I could tell all he really wanted was someone to listen to him. I have not received the email from Jack, and it really does not matter if I ever do. Friday morning was Just Jack time anyway.
Listening is the most important communication skill out there in my opinion. We learn the most when we are using our ears rather than our mouths. Listening is also a compliment to others as it shows them you are giving them a portion of your time.
Sometime today set aside a few moments to listen to someone. Fight the urge to butt in or comment on everything they say. Really, just listen. Better yet, listen to a stranger sometime today. Who knows, you may meet your Just Jack today.
Rodney - Listening My Ears Off
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