Imagine...

"Hey! How's it goin'?" he asked.

"I'm good," I said, "How about yourself?"

"Just tired," he responded.

"I can imagine," I said!

It's a phrase I learnt during my call center days. An expression call center employees were trained to use when a customer expressed a problem or concern.

"It's natural to say - I understand," the trainer explained.

"But imagine a situation! A customer is trying to complete the purchase of his new home by a certain date. He would like to move in before the new school year starts for his children, but his home loan is not approved though he was promised approval by that date and has submitted all the documents he was asked to."

"In that situation, if you said, "I understand", the customer would say, "No, You don't understand!"

"Which is why a better way to respond is to say, "Dear Mr. Customer, I can imagine how that creates a problem for you..." and then provide the reasons for the delay, or better still, an alternate solution."

It struck a chord right away! And has stayed with me for over 15 years.

Which is why, as I got ready to stretch my hamstrings and quadriceps at my 7 PM physical therapy appointment (the last one for the day), I could imagine why Warren (one of the therapists) felt tired...

Spring...

I leave the office!

5:20 on Friday evening and and I feel like I got some work done.

I pause a moment in the lobby.

I need cash and I have a decision to make.

I can either go down to the food court, get cash from the No-name ATM and pay a transaction fee or I can walk 3 blocks left in the wind to my own bank.

I tuck my scarf into my coat so it covers my neck.

I wish I can put my hands in my coat pockets too, but I'm carrying this huge binder from the training program I attended that morning in one hand and leftovers from the Thai food I had for lunch in the other.

Luckily, a homeless man curled up on the sidewalk, graciously accepts the leftovers.

I wonder why the ATM area at the bank is filled with policemen!

I find it funny that every single one of them is busy looking at his phone.

It's a 6-block walk back to my parking garage.

I transfer the binder to my right hand so my left can have some respite.

The attendant at the parking garage is happy with the 20.

Still, there's a long line of cars on the street and to turn right, I'm at their mercy.

The Parkway looks rather empty!

I make a couple of phone calls even as I weave through Race Street.

I chance upon the sky as I approach the Ben Franklin bridge.

I'm surprised, it's almost 6 pm and there's still light!

It makes me smile...

Soon, it'll be Spring.