Week 1 of the OGO Route 66 Recognition Road Trip is officially in the books, and boy has it been a journey!
Over the past few days, we have been challenging people not only to tell us about their OGOs and what makes them so awesome, but to actually tell the OGOs themselves directly -- be it face to face, over the phone or in writing.
We have found that people can talk all day about the great people in their lives, whether they are halfway across the world or standing by their side.
But when we ask them to actually stop, look their OGO in the eye, and tell them just how great they are, the experience is far more uncomfortable, emotional and challenging. And so much more rewarding.
On Sunday, we arrived in Santa Fe around 4 PM, and set up our table in the quaint plaza. It was bursting with diversity. There were Native Americans selling beautiful pottery and jewelry, artists catching up over coffee, Hispanics, Germans, and Danes conversing in their native languages, wealthy retirees, homeless people, young children, frazzled mothers, and, of course, teenagers catching Pokémon.
We sat at the table and listened to the old accordion player, enjoyed the sunshine and looked forward to meeting some awesome people. And that we did!
One of my favorite moments of recognition in Santa Fe was between Amanda and Greg, a couple from Sydney, Australia. They were hesitant to stop at first, and later admitted that because of their accents they have been easy targets for aggressive salespeople. But we got to talking and had a few laughs, and they decided to stick around to watch a few interviews.
The first interview they watched was with Robt, a man from Palm Beach, who recognized his violin teacher as his OGO for having taught him how to pour his heart into his music.
Next, we talked to Paige and her mom’s best friend Patsy. Both women had the same no-nonsense Texas personality and sharp sense of humor. Paige initially chose her father as her OGO before both women recognized each other as being wonderfully positive influences in each other’s lives.
At that point, Greg and Amanda realized how fun and relaxed the interview process was, and were finally ready to recognize each other on camera.
When asked why Greg was her OGO, Amanda said, “He’s a great life partner to evolve and grow with and I feel lucky that we are on the same life pathway.” Greg responded by saying, “Amanda is easy to live with and to travel with. She is a great life partner and I feel like we are better together than apart.”
When asked what the best compliment Amanda has ever given him was, Greg said, “She doesn’t really compliment me. We’ll give each other subtle looks and sometimes she’ll say things like ‘good man’ and when she says that, it really does make me want to work hard to be a better man.” Amanda laughed and said, “I was going to say that the nicest thing you say to me is that I make you want to be a better man!”
We then challenged them to actually look each other in the eye and tell each other what they had just told us. They were a little uncomfortable, because, as Greg explained, “Expressing our love and appreciation in words is something that’s very unnatural for us. But if I had to try to translate what I feel into words, I would say, thank you for being you. Thank you for pulling me out of my comfort zone and showing me things that you really value and making life a more diverse experience.” Amanda simply grinned, said, “I love you!” and gave him a hug and a kiss.
For a couple who just minutes before had admitted to being uncomfortable with verbal recognition, was it difficult? Yes! Was it out of their comfort zone? Sure. Was it wonderful? Absolutely.
Greg and Amanda’s interview showed us something important. There was such a clear difference in emotional response from when Greg and Amanda talked to us about each other’s awesome qualities, and when they actually looked each other in the eye and told each other how much they loved each other. Even though it can be hard to come up with the words, it is important to try, because sometimes people just need to hear out loud how awesome they are.
Over the past week, we have been so lucky to meet such awesome people. There has been a lot of laughter, hugs, kisses and tears, and I can’t wait to see what is in store for us next!
And if you haven’t told your OGO how much he or she means to you lately, I dare you to look them in the eye or pick up the phone today and tell them.
- Carly Sullivan