I was sitting in my car in the Home Depot parking lot today when I saw a guy walking by carrying a tremendous sign that he apparently just purchased.
FOR RENT.
That was all it said. I looked at it for maybe three seconds. Then, for reasons I still can’t fully explain, I jumped out of my car, walked over to him, looked him right in the eye and said:
“I’LL TAKE IT!”
He looked at me like I was a little crazy. Which, to be fair, was probably appropriate. I had absolutely no idea what was for rent.
A house? An apartment? A garage? A storage shed? A goat?
Didn’t matter. I wanted to be first. I didn’t want him renting whatever the hell it was to somebody else before I had a shot at it.
Of course I was kidding. But he laughed. I laughed.
And for maybe 20 or 30 seconds, two people who had never met before and would probably never see each other again had a little
moment together in a Home Depot parking lot. And then I got back into my car.
Here’s the weird thing about me. I’m not really what most people would call a social person. Put me at a big party, a networking event, a crowded get-together where everybody is standing around talking over each other, and I’m usually looking for the exit.
I’ve never been particularly good at working a room. I don’t want to meet 40 people. I don’t want to make small talk with everybody. I don’t need to be the center of attention.
But give me one guy walking across a parking lot carrying a gigantic FOR RENT sign?
I’m your man.
And sitting there in my car afterward, I realized something about myself that I had never really put into words before.
I may not be very good at being around people. But I’m pretty darn good at being with a person. There’s a difference. A big one.
Somewhere along the way, I think we decided that being social means liking crowds. Having lots of friends. Going to parties. Knowing everybody. Being comfortable walking into a room full of strangers and introducing yourself. And if you don’t like those things, maybe you’re shy. Or antisocial. Or introverted. Or somehow not very good with people.
I don’t buy that anymore.
Because some of the best conversations I’ve ever had in my life have been with one person. Sometimes someone I knew well. Sometimes someone I had just met. Sometimes someone I would never see again.
One person. One conversation. One little connection. No audience. No crowd. No pressure to impress anybody. Just two human beings standing there for a minute, paying attention to each other.
And maybe that’s what connection actually is. Not how many people know your name. Not how many people are at the party. Not how many contacts are in your phone.
Maybe it’s simply noticing another person. Looking them in the eye. Making them laugh. Asking a question. Actually listening to the answer. For a moment, letting someone who was just part of the scenery become a real human being in your day.
I never did find out what that guy was renting. I suppose I could have asked. But honestly, it didn’t matter. Because for a few seconds in a Home Depot parking lot, two complete strangers stopped being strangers.
He gave me a little piece of his day. I gave him a little piece of mine. And somehow, without either of us realizing it, that was the only thing that got rented.
Maybe I’m more social than I thought. But I’m still not going to parties or social events! So please do not invite me!
Dr. Dave
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