Smile Cards at work

I've been working at my job with the consulting firm for a couple months now and have been experimenting with tagging at the workplace.  I'm still being a bit cautious about it, but with all the traveling I'm doing it makes for fun opportunities to do it all over the place.

 

A couple of examples stick in my head and perhaps might make good opportunities for others.  One, several times I'm standing in the lunchline and after paying for my meal I just give an extra bill, drop the smile card in the cashiers hand, and ask if she can give the card to someone after me in line who looks like they could use a pick-me-up.  I usually get quizzical looks, but inevitably they get excited about it, and nobody really knows who's doing it.  Good stuff.  Second, I try and keep my ears open for things that people could really use.  Little things, like some water or a snack or some medicine because folks don't have time to get it themselves, and I use my breaks to get it (assuming its in the building, if not, then i get it over the evening).  Then, the trick is getting it to them with the smile card without them knowing it was me.  more fun :)

 

Aside from that, have been back to the summer of smiles.  Last year, we had a summer of lemonade, this year I think we'll be branching out to a multitude of ideas.  We already have done a run of lemonade and another of cookies, but next week we're going to try taking excess food from restaurants and distributing to local homeless.  decentralized, distributed, small, that's the mantra.  If people look at it and say 'that's amazing!', it tells me that we're not small enough :)

 

Otherwise, the work itself is going well.  I'm learning how to problem solve and use techniques to systematically approach situations I'm presented with and break them down.  It's been enlightening, albeit very tiring and humbling. 

 

It's also very hot now.  i don't like the stickies.  but it rained today and reminded me of the old monsoons i used to witness in arizona for so many years.  nothing to flash flood to nothing in 30 minutes.  hope we get more this summer, and the dirt keeps that fresh rain smell :)