Invisible People

I used to work out at Gold’s Gym because it was close to my office.  At the time, I was a married, middle-aged, overweight woman, which, I discovered, made me virtually invisible at Gold’s Gym.

Young, buff men would walk right by me, never even seeing me, sometimes so oblivious to my existence they’d almost walk into me.  Older, buff men would work pretty hard not to see me or have me see them.  They were quite careful not to make eye contact with me.  Young women might be tempted to see me, but rarely did, fearful I could represent their own future, and the only people who occaisionally noticed me were women my own age and fitness level – or lack thereof, and even they rarely took notice of me while I was there.

It was at that time that I started thinking about all the “invisible” people in the world.  The housekeeping staff at a hotel, the punks waiting for the bus, the elderly ladies hauling their groceries home, the men tearing up the sidewalk to install a fire hydrant, all the people who run the cameras for summer blockbuster movies, drive-through restaurant staff, and so on.  How many people do you encounter every day that are “invisible” to you?  How many people to you walk right by, day after day after day, without really seeing?

Now, don’t get me wrong, I sort of enjoyed my powers of invisibility at Gold’s Gym.  I wasn’t particularly trying to get noticed, but if I lived my whole life not being noticed by anyone, I’m quite sure I would be very depressed.  There are people who feel ‘invisible’ all the time who don’t really enjoy the experience.  Perhaps you are one of them.  If so, make sure you are not playing a part in making other people invisible, too.

Take the time today to really ‘see’ everyone in your environment.  Look into the car beside you at a red light and see the other driver.  When you walk into work today, see the person at the front desk and let them know you acknowledge them.  Go out of your way to walk past the desks of co-workers with whom you never engage in conversation and at least wave them a friendly, “Hello.”  When you drop your children off at practice, say “Hi” to that one mother that you’ve never, ever greeted before.  She’s there every week, just like you, don’t let her continue to be invisible.  Look at the person who rings up your purchases or gives you your packages.  See your letter carrier, your UPS guy, the meter reader, the paperboy.  Work really hard today to discover the ‘invisible’ people, they’ll be glad you did, and so will you!

Marlo Archer, Ph.D.
Down to Earth Enterprises
1250 E. Baseline Rd., Suite 102
Tempe, AZ 85283
(480) 705-5007