How nice is it when someone actually does what they say they will?
And why is it always such a suprise?
I met someone today for lunch. Not someone I knew well, not someone I knew at all really, but someone who invited me out as a "thank you".
Let me back up...
A while ago, on Q104, a radio station here in Northeast Ohio, I heard a discussion about The Cleveland Orchestra. I, of course, added my two cents worth in the form of an email to the producer saying that if they really wanted to learn about them they should attend a concert and hear for themselves why it is regarded as one of the best in the world!I didn't think much more about it until my email was read on the air, along with a promise that the morning crew would in fact go to Severance hall and check them out.
Great! But would they really?
Yes they did, the following week. They went, they heard, they understood!
In fact, they chatted about it on air the next day. I was pleasantly suprised.
Given that they seemed to enjoy themselves, I took it upon myself to invite them to an Open dress rehearsal for Carmina Burana - which tied into our local sports team, The Cleveland Cavaliers.
Great! But would they come?
Well, one of the personalities came, Allan Fee, bringing his daughter - fabulous! Again they talked about it on air, the next day and again I was pleasantly suprised.
A couple of days later I received a phone call at work from Allan, asking if there were tickets available for the Saturday performance?
"Let me find out and call you back"
So Allan, this time came with his daughter and lovely wife.
A few days later, I was notified by Facebook that I had a message from Allan.
"Great concert, let me take you out for lunch as a Thank you"
I responded, "No thanks neccessary, but lunch would be great, let me know when you can make it'.
Thinking, nothing more of it, I went along on my merry way, working, living etc. A couple of weeks go by, and I get another notification...."When are we meeting?"
Huh.....This time I was genuinely suprised, he could have easily let it go, but instead he followed up with me. How nice!
So today we had lunch, ( I chose the place, my mistake, it wasn't great...dry omlettes and a smattering of potatoes, sorry Allan) we chatted for a while, and I thought, why do so many people just blow things off? Are we really all that busy?
So thank you Allan, for reminding me how important the little things are, like calling someone back when you say you will, or doing something you say you will, when you don't really have to.
I know this is something I can work on, I want to be the one suprising someone else by going the extra mile or doing something extra that they didn't expect.
I can do better, how about you?
