I filled up my gas tank in Topeka, Kansas this morning before I headed home. As I went in to pay for my gas and to grab a cup of coffee, I ended up in line at the coffee pot. Several men and one woman who all work together were milling around, trying to figure out why type of coffee to get. When one of them noticed me behind him, he politely moved aside so I could get what I wanted.
I ran into the same group of people at the cash register. Again, one of the guys apologized for holding me up and I told him that it wasn't a problem. One of the other guys, the one who turned out to be the boss, asked the clerk if he needed a job. He told the clerk he needed more workers. The clerk said he was fine, so the guy asked a woman who was standing off to the side if she needed a job. She asked what he did and he said landscaping and miscellaneous construction jobs. She told him that she actually is interested. He handed her a card and told her to call him.
He never did ask me if I needed a job or not. I'm not sure what to make of that.
But the situation was a reminder that opportunities often come from simply showing up. Sometimes we don't even need to show up in the "right place." We just need to be active.
