Have you ever been in a storm of emotion or uncertainty and among all the excitement a certain look or moment touches you in a much bigger way then the whole of the sum? This happened countless times at critical incidents on SDPD. Someone would comment afterwards, "That crime scene, shooting incident, or barricaded suspect was (fill in the blank). The big picture is the story, but what I often recall and still do are the small things. The look on someone's face,a certain sound, a scent, or something as simple as a small child's shoe, still tied, lying on its side, all alone.
I do not recall as much, seeing the small things in civilian life, but I think we all do. As an example, Theresa and I got word they were installing our lighted sign on the outside of our new Community Hub (tm) at 4S Commons Shopping Center. I admit, I was a bit nervous.
The latest hurricane in our lives has been obtaining the County of San Diego building permits, contractor bids, lease issues, insurance, staffing plan, and just about everything else. I almost said to the
Matthew Sign Company,as they started to install the signs, "Can you please tell John Still that Theresa and I were only joking. Were really not going to open a new Community Hub. Just pack up your stuff". In reality, I think it was just a feeling of stage fright.
It was not a barricaded suspect problem, but it was still pretty fun. With the clatter of the power drills and the sight of the letters from our sign scattered around the parking lot like a giant scrabble game, the installers went to work. I had spent many sleepless nights dreaming about this day and what the future would hold. Many people and some nationwide companies advised us, "Your concept will not work". One company lawyer from a well-known brand even stated, "What your proposing will not increase your value at all". If my father was alive today,he would have simply said, "Don't let the bas*#$(& get you down. Do what you think is right" That is what we are doing..
As we were watching the sign company workers, two friends, Paul and Rebecca Costa, owners of,
Fun Flicks, stopped by to say,"hi".
Then it happened. The little thing. The small hand that reaches up and grabs the emotion of the moment and will forever define the big event with something rather small. I know when Theresa and I think back to this day, and how this event had impacted our lives, we will think of a young man. An unemployed young man who touched our hearts and does not even know it.
After taking the group picture we stood near the doorway looking out into the parking lot. A young man about nineteen or twenty years, old walked past the front door of our Community Hub. He then stopped and abruptly took a couple steps back and looked at the four of us. A genuine smile emerged on his face as his eyes lit up. His deep brown beautiful eyes against his dark skin were captivating. I could see the excitement in his eyes. He then said very clearly, "A new business... Are you hiring, any jobs available? I sensed the hope in his eyes as well as in the tone of his voice.
It immediately reminded me of the difficult time that America is confronted with right now. So many very talented people are willing and able to work but simply cannot find employment. On the flip side, small business owners are fighting so hard against a difficult economy, limited availability of lending and ever tightening regulations and taxes.
My gut response was ready to yell out, "darn right we are". My heart was telling me, that I not only wanted to give him a job, but also fifty or five hundred other people just like him. Then my brain and common sense screeched on the brakes.
The young man and I had a good discussion. I asked if by chance if he had a real estate license, but he did not. He was very articulate and we wished him the best of luck. As Theresa and I look back to today, I will likely mix up the particulars of our build out and the sign installation, but I will never forget the look of hope in that young man’s eyes. I will keep the spirit of his hope alive and we will work hard to achieve our goals. Near the top of our list is the sincere hope to provide more opportunities for others.
Enjoy your week,
