I have a secret to share with you all today, in fairness it’s not secret to those who know me well, but for you all it will come as new information. It’s nothing bad, more of a guilty pleasure, a calorie free guilty pleasure which in my book means its good.
I love to watch trains as they pass by. I love the sound of the steel on steel, the clinging, the hissing, the clacking, the raw power as the locomotives pull past and the ground around them rumble in response. There is just something majestic about watching a train rumble down the tracks, the sights and sounds and smells that accompany the train for me are fantastic.
I’m also very fortunate to live in a town that has a vibrant economy with a CSX line that runs through the center of town. Given our close proximity to the Nissan factory means that on any given day you are just as likely to see a train carrying brand new cars from the factory as you are seeing a coal train rumbling by on its way to deliver its freight that will keep the power plant running.
When I’m out driving and time allows, there are 2-3 places along the track that I know I can safely park and observe the train up close. When my daughter was younger we would make a point to stop at least once a week and “catch a train” as she would refer to it. It was something that we shared together, and as she’s gotten older I miss those times we had to spend together.
Last week I was with my wife as she was getting her hair done, and the salon we both visit sits across the street from the Smyrna Train Depot. It is not uncommon to see multiple trains pass by, and the stylist we both use knows that when a train is coming he’ll actually turn the chair so that I can look out the window to see the train pass by while he’s cutting my hair. (Perhaps there’s a lesson there we can address on another week!)
As I waited while her hair was being done, a train whistle could be heard off in the distance meaning I made my way outside the building to watch for the oncoming train. As it approached I noticed it had 4 locomotives which meant it was probably going to be a long train, in excess of a mile long or more as is typical on this particular line.
As the cars passed by, I started to pay special attention to the graffiti that adorned so many of the cars. I’ve never really paid a lot of attention to graffiti in the past, but as this particular train passed by I saw that there was something beautiful about the amount of attention the artists had paid in creating their mark on life. Let me be clear, I’m not here to argue the legality of the graffiti or the fact that it is in fact vandalism, rather I was focused on the attention given as those who created it sought to create their mark on life.
All to often I think we get stuck in the mundane, and we fail to create a mark on our own lives. I encourage you to not overthink this one today, this isn’t the life altering leave a legacy type of discussions we’ve had in the past. Nope, todays challenge is simply this. Much like those graffiti artists who spend their time, talent and resources to create their mark that ultimately is here today, gone tomorrow - that lasting indelible mark has the possibility of affecting others in the days, weeks and years to come - assuming it isn’t painted over by the next ambitious artist.
Let me ask you this, if you had the opportunity to leave a mark, even if short term, on the lives of those around you - be it co-workers, friends or family - would you take it? Do you have the confidence to step out and create change with those you work with, even if just short term or otherwise mundane or perhaps trivial, can you do it?
As I watched that train pass by I was awestruck on how much time and planning had gone into some of the different markings on the side of the train cars. The fiscal side of me took note of how much money in some cases had been spent simply acquiring the paint necessary to complete the different works of art. On one hand it seems like a tremendous waste of time and talent, but on this particular day I didn’t see it that way.
I found myself wanting to know more about the person behind the art. What was it that they saw that they needed others to see in creating their masterpiece. What mark where they seeking to make, what statement was being portrayed that I was missing.
Here’s the truth. Not everything you do in life will be life changing or remembered forever. However, how difficult would it be to create lots of small events that effect those around you, that leave those whom you come into contact with wondering why you did what you did but appreciating the fact that you did it.
I don’t know about you, but I think if you start creating a lot of small life changing events that you leave your mark on in your sphere of influence, they’ll quickly morph into bigger larger opportunities to create real life changing life altering events. For me, if you can start doing that, just like me wanting to know the story behind the graffiti I’ll want to know your story as well.
So go on, leave your mark today. Others will be glad you did.
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