A Not So Random Encounter

This happens more often than you would think. Normally I would not share but I felt like putting pen to paper.

Just remember this -how you treat people whether they are familiar, a stranger, friend or foe matters. ~Denise Bampoe

So I’m walking into the office building and this guy was ahead of me who was also coming in from the parking lot. He never held the door even though he was just steps ahead of me. You know that women as a collective.. must carry an entourage with us..lol  So here I come with my purse, lunch bag and an extra bag with sneakers for my lunchtime walk along with my tea mug in hand….. Annnnnnd  boom he plows through the two double glass doors… “I know you see me behind you..but I don’t matter right?”, I said to myself. I continue walking because I usually take the stairs since it’s a healthy choice and the elevator takes forever especially in the morning. I feel bad since I only have to go up one floor. But I digress…

Any who…..guy continues just ahead of me and goes up the stairs and in similar fashion fails to hold the stairwell door and then comes to a dead stop. He has no pass and can’t gain entry into the office. I arrive just after he abruptly let the door close behind him. But now who’s stuck?????  I have the key. He then realized that I was going to the same place and that I have access…hmm I guess I must be somebody. I look in my purse for my pass and without me saying a word, he begins to apologize and explains that he works with so and so and his team member wasn’t there to let him in. I just look at him and gather that he’s either new or a consultant. You see -he’s entering a restricted access area and that would indicate that he didn’t belong there. We’re generally told to direct anyone without a pass to enter via the reception area so someone can verify their need to access the premises, especially since we work with sensitive information and security is a high priority. His team member finally came to the door. But wait -you should recognize that I only got an acknowledgement aka an unsolicited apology once he needed entry and realized that I had the key.

I am not invisible. I do matter. I am a woman, a wife, a daughter and a caregiver. Just because you don’t know me or anything about my background, my education level or pedigree doesn’t mean that I don’t have access. I think that maybe I should have said, ” Oh my name is Denise and I work on this team and with so and so..” to establish that I have a title and position.  I did not and no I really don’t think that should be necessary as I do belong and should be seen for who I am. I should not be dismissed for what appears to a select few as an inconvenient encounter.

Who or what do you let define you?

Declare today that you need no one’s approval and carry on holding your head high and walk in God’s authority.