I was sitting in a coffee shop the other day when I turned to my right and saw three elderly men sitting in the much coveted window booth. I'd practically seen fights break out over this spot.
A gentlemen, who'd apparently been standing in line didn't take too kindly to the new tenants. "That's my seat!" he shouted. "See! I left my newspaper there," he added before stomping off to pick up his coffee.
The three men mumbled amongst themselves, "You always see newspapers in coffee shops. How were we supposed to know?" This seemed grounds for justification and so they decided to stay.
When the man returned with his coffee he was less than pleased to discover the status of his table hadn't change. "Move!" he barked.
Then in an almost Zen like fashion, one of the gentlemen said, "Hey, why don't you come sit with us. We're very interesting."
Amazingly, the man obliged and for the next several minutes the four men enjoyed one another's company. What's more, the man who'd claimed the seat earlier was engaged. The men asked questions about his work, his past - his life. And it was obvious to me that no one had in a while.
A potentially volatile situation was diffused all by connection. It seemed a lesson pertinent to every actor, artist, or entrepreneur: never underestimate the power of connection and community in whatever you do.
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