Growing up, my mom was a huge “Cheers” fan. I was too young to understand much about the show, but the theme song seemed to make it clear: “Where everybody knows your name!”. Try watching this and not getting it stuck in your head!
The show make a brilliant point: We tend to gravitate to places where people know us well and call us by our name. Think about the local places you attend the most: restaurants, coffee shops, skating rinks (shameless plug), gas stations, and church. If someone knows my name, I am way more likely to make it part of my routine. When I feel like someone is showing genuine interest in me as a person, it becomes my top local spot.
Roller skating is a highly social experience. Roller City is full of regular attendees, many of them under the age of 18. Unlike most work environments, our customers attend for 2-3 hours and we have ample time to build strong relationships with our customers. I often tell my staff that we are purely a service industry. Some organizations may have poor service but a great burger, which might bring someone back a second time. And we don’t serve burgers.
It’s hard to impact someone that you don’t know. And think about all of the times a situation has been awkward because you don’t know anyone. And who hasn’t had a Facebook situation where someone you’ve never met tries to add you as a friend?
Knowing people and being known is a pillar of our identity, outlook, and quality of life. If relationships are so important, why do we neglect people so often? We tend to get so wrapped up in a task or goal that we forget we are working with human beings, not robots. Similarly, why do we act and react like we don’t have passion, emotion, or ideas?
Take a look at the lyrics to the Cheers theme song below. Tell me it isn’t a breath of fresh air?!
Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.
Wouldn’t you like to get away?
Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
and they’re always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see,
our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows
Your name.
You wanna go where people know,
people are all the same,
You wanna go where everybody knows
your name.
You wanna go where people know,
people are all the same,
You wanna go where everybody knows
your name.
Whether it’s at work, home, church, or a restaurant, be intentional and get to know the people around you better. The world is much smaller than you think and you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the results. Life is better done in community.
Cheers!
The Fruit Of Labor 