Ever wonder how the people around you got their jobs? Ever look back and think about where you thought you’d end up? (Audio interviews below)
Heroes’ stories are everywhere — in the news, the memories of your taxi driver, the pages of your favorite book. Everyone has a calling in life. People find fulfillment by pursing them and overcoming obstacles, with their integrity in tact. So while Bill Gates or Oprah Winfrey’s stories may make it to the biography section of your local bookstore, your doorman’s story is no less empowering. Here are the stories of some heroes who may have slipped under your radar.
These interviews are from StoryCorps. If you haven’t heard about them already (they’re featured on NPR and they created the touching and popular Danny and Annie video), StoryCorps is a great organization. They’re one of the largest oral history projects, with over 30,000 recorded interviews. Their goal is to encourage people to record the stories of those who are important to them and to help people connect and talk about the questions that matter.
At under a minute each, the stories are like bite-sized pieces of inspiration. Click on the links below to listen.
Librarian
Sharon Holley, a retired librarian, got sick of all her friends borrowing her comic books and not returning them. She tells her husband how she prepared for her career at an early age.
Custodian
Being a janitor can have more meaning to someone than you’d think. Chloe Smith is a high school student. She asks Willie Jefferson about being the custodian at her Catholic school.
Doorman
Debra Goodman met Ed Trinka when he was on the job. Now they’re friends. In this interview, he tells her about being the doorman at the Plaza Hotel since 1963. He really shines a light on the impact of customer service.
Barber
What started out as a necessity (his brother needed a haircut) turned into a 60-year long career. Lawrence Anthony and David Shirley talk about being barbers and how they got started with just 50 cents.
Taxi Driver
Known as the “human computer,” Oleg Roitman is a New York City cab driver. He tells his friend and fellow driver, Andrew Vollo, about his passengers and the services he provides.
Dance Host
Richard Craig gets weary tourists onto the dance floor. He describes his job as a cruise ship dance host. He talks about the impact the passengers have on him as well as the impact he hopes to leave.
Bounty Hunter
Rick Kincaid hunted criminals.
His friend Danny Ray Terry asks him about his career, family, and what caused him to leave the business.
Navigating our own journeys requires guides — people to help us work through our setbacks. Their insights can help us realize our dreams and expand our visions. Have you stopped to listen?
Photo courtesy of Andres Castaneda.
Posted in Life of Meaning