Thursday, October 02, 2008

Pay Attention to the Signs

I saw the most interesting thing yesterday morning at the Regina Airport. I was waiting for my flight to Toronto and my seat was almost right beside the Men's washroom. While I was sitting there, I watched a woman get up and walk directly in the Men's washroom. She exited about 5 seconds later somewhat embarrassed and talking to herself as she quickly walked away. One minute later, another woman did exactly the same thing EXCEPT that she tried to explain herself and her mistake to the gentlemen who were already in the room.

Now... I have my own 'right idea, wrong room' experience so I'm not making fun of these ladies at all. As it happened, I couldn't help but notice that the room was well marked as the MEN's room and I wondered, why don't you just pay attention to the signs? That thought led to this...

Signs surround us. There are warning signs, opportunity signs, caution signs and of course 'for sale' signs. Our body gives us signs regarding our health and our clothing gives us signs about our bodies. (Those jeans used to be much baggier than they are now...)

The question is... how well do I pay attention to the signs around me. I'm in Toronto so I'm paying a lot of attention to the street and highway signs, but I wonder how attentive I am to some of the other signs around me. Sometimes, we miss the obvious because of the pace at which we seek to live.

Slowing down, taking a breath and a good look around can avoid a lot of awkward moments in our lives, not the least of which is finding yourself in the wrong bathroom.

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