Every Monday morning I join the Refresh Creative Planning Team at the Towne Crier for a breakfast meeting. It's not uncommon for me to have one, two... sometimes three additional breakfast meetings at the Towne Crier during a given week. This has been my routine for well over three years, so it’s safe to say I, along with those who are joining me for these various gatherings, have become "regulars" at the Towne Crier.Here’s why I like being a "regular”:
* Everybody know my name… I know you’re singing the song from Cheers right about now, but it’s really true.
* I’m comfortable. I can relax because I know what to expect.
* I order “my usual” and the wait staff know what “my usual” is for me. (In case you are curious, it’s a bowl of oatmeal with brown sugar on the side, and a Diet Doctor Pepper.)
* I know the other regulars and they know me. We’ve developed our own little community.
So, why does all of the above so much to me?
Belonging. I feel like I belong. I have a place. There are people who know me, and miss me when I’m not there.
It’s amazing how such a need can manifest itself in something as simple as where I eat breakfast.
This challenges me to do what I can do to help the people around me become “regulars”? What can I do to help people feel that they belong? That they contribute? That they are needed? That they are valued?
Being “a regular” gives me a glimpse of the power of community. It’s the unique connection that we share as humans to love, appreciate and encourage one another.
What is it in your life that makes you feel like a "regular”?
