I recently had the opportunity to speak for FlatironDragados during Construction Safety Week, and this presentation came with a few unexpected blessings. I had originally been scheduled with a client in Texas that day, so getting to stay close to home—and skip the flight—was already a win. 😊 We had a beautiful sunrise, the weather cooperated, and I got to spend the morning talking safety while technically on the I-405 freeway.
Not a bad way to start the day!
Wait… You’ve Seen Us Before?
The group was wonderful. Everyone was respectful, engaged, and seemed genuinely interested in what I had to share. Then one of the guys told me that he had seen Russ and me give our presentation before.
Well, that caught me off guard.
Here I was giving one of my solo presentations, and standing in front of me was someone who remembered when Russ and I used to do this together. A lot has changed since then, but he remembered us—and he remembered our story.
That meant a lot. 💛
Figuring Out This New Version of “Us”
My dear friend Christine was able to be there with me, which made the day even more special. She took some GREAT photos, and for the first time, we were able to get video of one of my solo presentations.
I’m still figuring out what these presentations look like without Russ physically sitting beside me. For so many years, this was something we did together. Now I’m the one standing up there, but I’m still telling our story—and Russ is still very much part of it.
Before I got started, Matt Rolf gave such a kind introduction about both Russ and me. I really appreciated what he said, although standing next to him also made me laugh because the man looks almost TWO FEET taller than me! 😂
Russ Was Still Part of the Day
When it was time for Russ’s portion of the presentation, I was relieved that his audio came through loud and clear. Anytime you’re depending on technology, there’s always that little voice in your head saying, Please work… please work… 😊
Well, the audio worked beautifully. The video had other plans.
The wind was rippling across the screen while Russ’s image was up there, and it almost made his image look like it was moving. It wasn’t exactly what we planned, but it made me smile. Sometimes you just have to roll with those moments.
I’ll Take the Standing Ovation! 😂
By the end of the presentation, everyone was standing.
Were they already standing?
Yes.
Did that stop me from joking that I had just received a standing ovation?
Absolutely not. 😂 I’ll take it however I can get it!
But what I loved even more were the hugs afterward. Those moments tell me more than applause ever could. These guys already know safety rules, and they don’t need me standing up there telling them things they’ve heard a thousand times before.
What I hope our story does is give them a reason to think about those rules differently.
Maybe That’s the Biggest Blessing
On the way home, I thought about all the little things that had made me smile that day. I got to stay close to home. Christine was there. We got some great photos and our first video of one of my solo presentations. Matt gave us a beautiful introduction, Russ’s voice came through loud and clear, and the day ended with laughter and hugs.
I even got a little turned around trying to find the “backward exit” when it was time to leave. Thankfully, everyone was very understanding. 😂
But I kept coming back to that guy who had heard us before.
He remembered our story.
And maybe that’s one of the biggest blessings I could ask for, because I don’t need someone to remember Russ and me just because we gave a good presentation. I want our story to come back to them when it matters.
Maybe it’s months or even years later. Maybe they’re tired, they’re in a hurry, or they’re about to take a shortcut they’ve taken a hundred times before. If something from our story pops into their head and makes them stop for just a second and think about the people waiting for them at home, then it’s still doing exactly what Russ and I hoped it would do.
Moving safety from their head to their heart. 💛
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