The way we treat those least important to us reveals our true character. Take Chuck Norris for example.
Chuck Norris’ movie, Sidekicks, came out in 1992 and my brother Tim and I had the distinct privilege of hosting him on the last stop of his cross-country, whirlwind, promotional tour.
Our job was to escort him around town from theater to theater and provide crowd control and security. Before the tour began, he had agreed to come by the school to meet some of our students and take a few pictures. Over five hundred people showed up! Because we were pressed for time, we had to push the line through quickly so we could make it to the first theater on time. My wife, Angelina, wanted to meet him too, so she popped in line along with everyone else. When her turn came, she greeted him, told him her name, mentioned that she was my wife, and said how honored we were to have him visit. Then she moved down the line.
When it was time to leave the school, we packed into two vehicles---Tim and four of us Black Belts in the lead vehicle with Mr. Norris, his entourage and me in the limo. I was pretty stoked! I was going to be spending the next five hours riding around in a limo with Chuck Norris! Before we left the parking lot, Mr. Norris looked across at me and asked, “Is your wife Angelina going to be able to join us in the limo? We would love to have her!” My jaw dropped. He just met five hundred people in about half an hour and he remembered her name. Over the next few hours, I looked on as Chuck Norris signed the better part of a thousand autographs during our tour of the local theaters.
I was amazed that he went out of his way to connect with everyone he met and make them feel special. In the limo ride between stops, he could not have been more pleasant. Not even once did I see him show the least bit of irritation with the crowds, the silly questions or the hurried pace. And remember, he had been promoting Sidekicks for nearly a month straight with no breaks.
Chuck Norris made an unforgettable impression on me that day. It didn’t matter who he met, how old they were or what they looked like. He treated everyone with sincere respect. He was a class act all the way and a great example of how to treat others. In my opinion, he deserves all the success life has given him.
And this begs the question, “How do you treat those who are least important to you?” We can all take a lesson from Chuck Norris.
This excerpt is from my book, Brief Moments of Clarity. Click here if you’d like to purchase it.
