We're not lanyards

At work conferences you are reduced to your lanyard. So I am Heather Johnson, Editor, place of employment, St. Paul, MN. In the elevator in the morning, I don’t even look at faces; my eyes go immediately to the lanyard. Oh, New Orleans. Oh, executive editor. Yes. I remember him. He was in yesterday’s seminar. He wore those awful shoes.

But then usually by the time you finish your first provided meal, you have met people and they become a little more than their lanyard. And then maybe after you’ve played croquet with them at the National Croquet Center on the conference evening outing, you know them better yet.

You may discover that Suzy Smith from Pennsylvania is actually stressed about whether or not she should move to Canada with her boyfriend of one year. And you find out that Chicagoan Bob Smith’s wife has breast cancer, so he wasn’t sure if he’d even make it to the conference. And you listen to one of your conference speakers’ talk about her three little girls at home. And the woman staying in the room next to you just lost her mom in a car accident. And I’m reminded that these lanyards are people! They are wounded. They are stressed. They love their family. They have favorite foods and music that makes them smile. They are like me. And I am suddenly saddened because I realize that so often it’s not just at conferences where I reduce people to their lanyards.

I reduce them to the cars they drive (and as far as that goes, I have NO room to talk). And I reduce them to what they look like, where they live, their jobs. (again, NO room to talk.) Their music, their church, you name it…

I just wish my reduction process could be flipped. That instead of seeing people’s “lanyards” first, I saw their heart. Their pain, their fears, their questions about God and life. And in return, they didn’t reduce me to a “blonde” or a “Christian” or a “writer.” Because pretty sure Christian or non-Christian, SUV-driver or bike rider, redhead or blonde…we all fear something. And we all desire acceptance. We want to be happy but are often wracked with various obstacles. We all wonder what the heck God and faith is all about. We all need water and paychecks and sleep.

And maybe if we tried out this reverse-reduction process a little, we’d all feel a little more of that acceptance we crave. It’s only when I challenge myself though, when I venture into the slightly-awkward, slightly-uncomfortable that cool connections happen. I think tomorrow I’ll look my fellow elevator riders in the eye, say good morning, eat breakfast with them and ask how they’re doing. How they’re really doing. And then maybe they’ll ask me too.

One of my dearest friends, and former coworker, had this saying posted above her desk, and it was a great reminder that no one is a lanyard…
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle"
--Philo of Alexandria