It Starts with Hello

I noticed a man sitting in a truck across the street from my house. He opened the door, climbed out and walked toward me with a can of yellow spray paint in his hand. I said, “So you are the artist who is creating the graffiti on the telephone poles on our street.” He smiled when he heard my artist reference.

“No, I am from the gas company. I come by every month and I’m responsible for updating the yellow marking until the pole is replaced,” he said. I wondered who was in charge of the rest of colorful symbols? I felt his lack of enthusiasm as he approached the pole. I, on the other hand, thought that having a job, any job, in this day of age was a feat! I wondered if any of my neighbors had ever approached him with a greeting or curiosity about his work.

“If you are only doing yellow markings who is responsible for the growing rainbow of colors. He was energized by my question and explained: yellow, natural gas/oil; red, electric power lines; orange, telecommunications and alarm; green, sewers and drain lines; blue, drinkable water; purple, reclaimed water/irrigation; and white, proposed excavation routes. It was more information than I could handle at the moment. I had no idea the colors on my pole were actually a code developed by the American Public Works Association.

I had been thinking about those tacky markings for weeks hoping that with one good rainstorm they would be washed away. Who knew that the telephone pole with all its mysterious symbols held the key to the secrets of the underworld of utilities? I wondered who might be showing up next to make his mark on the pole.

“I use colors in my work as well.”  Thinking and using ranges and shades of colors helps people identify and express emotions when words don’t come easily. He listened attentively as I explained my code: green, kind and friendly; red, upset; yellow, frightened; orange, questions; blue, sad or uncomfortable; and purple, proud. A number of colors in close proximity means confusion. Based on the number of colors on this pole, surely there must be confusion. Our color-coding systems did not match and served different purposes, but clearly they had important concealed meanings.

The serendipitous conversation made me think about my patients and how I wished they could experience what I was feeling at the moment. Who knew that a simple hello might lead me from cranky to happy?  There is a real lesson in this for my patients and for me...a glance, a smile, and a casual conversation. I bet this happens all the time; I started to make a list of daily opportunities…Starbucks, public transportation, the pharmacy… the possibilities are endless.

What a different feeling from yesterday’s elevator ride at my doctor’s office. An elevator full of people observing the unwritten rules of elevator etiquette: avoid gaze, push buttons with the desired floors, face forward, and remain silent.  Finally, the elevator doors opened. I escaped the awkward moment, only to enter a silent waiting room filled with patients engrossed in their magazines. I took the last available seat, read the sign, and shut down my cell phone.

I watched with greater understanding as the man put the finishing touches on the yellow symbol and headed back to his truck. As I noticed the man’s truck continue down the street, I thought: I could imagine the bumper sticker: Make My Day and Yours: Just Say Hi.

Trying to maintain the happiness factor throughout my day, I told my husband about my telephone pole conversation with the stranger. After almost thirty-nine years of marriage, he no longer flinches when I start the conversation with: “I met a man today… Of course you did. Who did you meet today?”

“Just a fellow artist.” My husband rolled his eyes knowing that I am the first one to admit my missing art gene. I told him that I solved the mystery of the neighborhood graffiti artist. He was not surprised.

Later that evening I thought about the unexpected connection with the man, a can of spray paint, and a telephone pole. I wondered if he was sharing the morning encounter with his spouse: “You know Honey, I met a woman today…”