The Trail You Leave

I'm sitting in the lobby of a local technical school, waiting for a student I brought for a tour. I don't mind waiting as it gives me a chance for one of my favorite activities: people watching.

Two ladies just came in to the lobby from outside. I did not see what they were doing out there, but after they walked past me, I knew. How did I know?

They left a trail of cigarette smoke behind as they walked.

If you are a smoker, you might not notice such a thing. I have pretty sensitive smell though so I did. And it got me thinking.

We all leave a trail as we go about our lives. It may not be a trail that can be smelled, but I assure you it is there.

In the way you smile, or don't smile, at the stranger you pass on the street; in the firmness of your handshake when you meet someone for the first time; it's in the way you handle a cell phone conversation while on a crowded elevator or bus; it's how you react to the receptionist when she tells you the doctor is running about 75 minutes behind.

Think about your trail. Is it a positive trail you leave for others or no? Is it memorable or do you become a faded memory the moment you leave?

What trail do you leave?