Places we’ve been and people we’ve met — how it all influence who we are

The places we’ve been and the people we’ve met.
How much that’s influencing who we are.

My social media friends are from different parts of the country.
Some from different parts of the world.
New York, San Diego, and Portland — Facebook posts from these three cities caught my attention this past week.
And brought back memories.

New York
A city where you can be surrounded by an ocean of people and still remain anonymous.
The Big Apple is well known for its vitality and cultural diversity.
New Yorkers are also known for being in a hurry; and rude.
On one of my visits there I was trying to explore the city on my own.

I was in Brooklyn trying to get to Manhattan.
And had no idea how to get to the subway.

I stopped a passer-by to ask for directions.
He told me to go down the block, make a left, etc.
But then, to my surprise, he walked a block with me and pointed toward the station (now within our sight); then he turned around and went on his way.

Rude and in a hurry?! Turned that stereotype right on its head!

San Diego, California
I remember one evening, being at an Italian restaurant with a friend; and ordering something with veal; more specifically, “milk-veal. “
Once the waiter left my friend proceeded to describe the conditions the veal is raised in order to get on my plate with the designation “milk-veal.”
That evening I learned about ethical treatment of animals.
(Oddly, the lesson came from a logistics engineer.)
From then on I learned to be more informed about the food choices I make.
Plus I learned not to label people based on what they do.

Portland, Oregon
Shortly after I moved into the area I became a member of one of the bird clubs — good way to meet people.
I became close friends with the president of the club. With her generous and easy-going nature she made it easy to be her friend.
It wasn’t long before she invited me to her home — to meet her husband and the rest of the family.

Naturally, when I went to visit my family in Europe, my new friend and her husband became the “babysitters” for my little guys.
When I asked her to take care of Sunny and Flipper she responded with what is one of the highest compliments I’ve received: “Mariana it’s a privilege to take care of your feathered-kids.”
(Actually, my friend, it’s the other way around. It’s a privilege for me to have met someone like you. And your family.)

*    *    *    *    *

Think back at the places you’ve been.
And the people you’ve met.

Remember the ones who made a positive impact on you.
Like an Olympian carrying the torch,
you can carry forward their words.
Their actions.
Become a messenger of kindness.

Mariana Fieraru

Mariana Fieraru, an Eastern European transplant, fell in love with her new home shortly after landing in New York. She "discovered" pizza! Years later she still loves pizza. And so do her two feathered-kids, Sunny and Flipper

Mariana worked on both, the east and the west coast.
Big or small, each project she worked on helped define the importance of gaining and sustaining a competitive edge in an increasingly complex business environment.

Business know-how, love of teaching and writing – all combined in 2006 to form OBI.
Its mission: to make learning fun! And easy.

Through its training, consulting, and publications OBI builds bridges of knowledge to take you from where you are to
where you want to go. Using a mix of serious, informal, analytical, and optimistic approach, OBI truly makes learning fun.

Learn More