I love cigarette smoke.
It’s only certain brands, and I couldn’t tell you which ones. Sometimes it’s even just the stale smell hanging in the air of a place frequented by smokers.
I know smoking damages you, and I certainly encourage you to give up the habit.
But when I smell the smoke, a precious thing happens:
I hear a KISS pinball machine. Galaga aliens descending. Spy Hunter’s “Theme from Peter Gunn.” Ms. Pac-Man chasing ghosts. And the sound of pool balls clicking. Sometimes I even hear Kenny Loggins belting out “Footloose” on a juke box.
The smoke takes me back. I would give my pinky to be back there again. It was my Mam-maw and Pap-paw’s pool hall, AKA “the Restaurant.”
I doubt Bo and Red (as they were known) realized at the time that starting a business would lead to such depth of emotion in their grandson. But I’m not the only one.
When Mam-maw died, several men in their 50s and 60s showed up at the funeral. Over and over we heard testimonies: I was a wild young man, and if it wasn’t for Bo and Red having the Restaurant, I’d be dead. They had the only safe place you could be at night.
I never heard my grandparents talk about the impact they had. Did they even know?
Do you know the impact you are having? Some of just the most recent examples I’ve heard:
- Two young men told me their manager is the closest thing they’ve had to a father. They have blossomed because he gives them responsibilities, feedback and correction.
- A variety of employees of small businesses have told me they are so thankful the owner has stayed open. They have provided for their families as a result.
- A manager pulled me aside to tell me that, a month earlier, the owner had texted him the biggest compliment he had ever received. (Think about that: He confided in me about a kind text message sent a month ago.)
Your actions have impact. Your words have impact. The fact that you are a presence in some peoples’ lives has impact.
If you are struggling today, wondering if your work has meaning, I beg you to look around.
You can be remembered for the smallest kindnesses you use to bless others.
Even if you don’t smoke.