Uncertain Steps

Just returned home from our trip to San Francisco. Yes it did finally happen and eventually we got to do everything we had planned. ( I’m sure there is another lesson in that…most of the time things work out, even if they are not exactly according to the plan!)

…but that isn’t the topic of this post.

Throughout our entire trip, I had the opportunity to witness or speak with countless people engaged in work that they obviously found great joy in and were very passionate about…

• a guy at the airport counter telling me about his craft of working with steel used in power plants (I have to  admit, I still have no clue what he was referring to specifically, but without a doubt he was passionate about his work)
• Gregory Haney, who played the part of Chistery, the monkey in the musical “Wicked” … certainly wasn’t the main character but the play wouldn’t have been the same without him
• the entire orchestra at Cirque du Soleil … like the monkey they were never center stage and it was easy to forget that the music was actually a live orchestra, but when you watched these people go about their role they loved every minute of it and performed as if they were the main attraction
• the Japanese woman who, after 30 years of living in San Francisco, opens her own little store carrying a unique variety of Japanese items … one of those stores that as soon as you step in you know it is going to be a wonderful experience just because of the joy she had doing what she was doing

All of these, in their own way, had found their own area of specialty in which to direct their energy and focus.  But quite possibly none stood out quite as dramatically as “the Bushman.”  If you aren’t familiar with Bushman, he is reportedly a homeless man who makes a living by hiding behind some fake branches in one of the busier tourist areas of Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco.  When tourists walk by and are least suspecting, he jumps out from behind the bushes and scares them. Simple…but effective!

Here is a short clip from our experience:

Here is someone else’s and you can search YouTube and find a hundred more:

There are a variety of internet rumors about this guy:

• reported to make over $60k/yr
• has hired a bodyguard to protect him from those who don’t find him so humorous
• has multiple “impostors” attempting to do the same thing (just looking through the YouTube videos it’s obvious there is more than one doing this)

There is also a whole range of different opinions about the Bushman.  Some condemn him and think he’s a nuisance.  One commenter online even found it totally unfair that the Bushman was making more money than he was with a college degree.  Others applaud Bushman for trying to support himself and think he’s hilarious.

Regardless, whether you can appreciate what he does or not …. whether he makes $60k/year or just enough to buy lunch…whether there is one Bushman or five…you have to give him (them) credit for finding a little niche (as simple as that niche may seem to others) that seems to work well for them.

What’s to learn from all of this?  I think it’s safe to say all of these people found ways to utilize their talents and skills in unique ways doing something they enjoy and are passionate about.  Shouldn’t that be what we are encouraging our kids to do as well?