The thundering roar of the crowd around me echoes my own cheers as we all watch to see who will claim first place. It’s the final day of the Oregon State Track Meet and the energy is high. My best friend has just achieved a dream she’s been working towards for years–to be a state champion. She has spent a majority of high school committed to doing everything she possibly can to be here today. Hours in the gym, hundreds of miles ran, all in the hope that this would someday happen. This is a dream come true: Oregon 3A 100 meter hurdles State Champion. As I look around, I notice a sign that makes me pause.
People are the point.
There are approximately 8,283,851,939 people in the world right now. And this sign is telling me that each and every one of them is “the point”? Walking down to congratulate my friend, I puzzled over the sign. Which is soon forgotten as we get swept up in the excitement and happiness of a dream coming true. It wasn’t until I was looking through pictures of the day, late that night that I was once again reminded of the words.
People are the point.
Fast forward to summer, where our state officer team has been facilitating camps, meeting members, talking with business and industry leaders, and finding new friends everywhere. The one common thread in each of these interactions, is that we first had to strike up a conversation. I found myself with a new friend in Washington D.C after a five minute conversation on the metro. Before sitting down, I had no idea who this person was or what they did. That one moment continued to shape the rest of my summer. Little conversations at the County Fair, complete with great big bear hugs from old friends.There was time spent sitting around the table sharing stories of our day, practicing karaoke in a truck, giving high-fives at camps and fair. There was time spent cooking a meal with family, cheering ringside, saying hello in passing to community members. Simple moments that were just part of an ordinary day. Each night the saying rolled through my mind.
People are the point.
You may be asking, “what does this even mean?” Imagine you’re sitting in a stadium filled with thousands of people. Everywhere you look you see faces. Those you love, those you knew from a long time ago, those you’ve seen in passing, and likely many who are strangers. Even so, each individual surrounding you has a unique story to share and matters. Now, stop imagining. Look around at the people surrounding you. When was the last time you had a real conversation with them? When was the last time you did something nice, just because, not expecting anything in return? When was the last time you listened, truly listened, to what people were saying? Each day we have the opportunity to turn our ordinary actions into extraordinary results by how we treat the people around us.
As you go into this next school year, I invite you to see the people around you. Strike up little conversations, and be surprised by what follows. The track meet wasn’t memorable because of the placing, it was the years of consistent training and encouragement that we were celebrating. My metro conversation was a lesson in noticing the people right next to us. And every moment that followed solidified the truth:
People are the point.
Love you all,
Addie Saunders
