Be the springy/spongy walkway.

I made at least a dozen trips to San Francisco in the past few years, most recently in January. Though this coast-to-coast travel was taxing, each trip came with a treat: a minute-long walk on a moving sidewalk that connects the check-in and gate areas in United Airlines’ Terminal 3 at SFO.

Not just any moving sidewalk: this one has a springy/spongy surface that provided my weary feet with a surprisingly pleasurable mini-vacation.

In addition to savoring that minute of foot relief, I love the fact that the springy/spongy walkway exists at all. It means people invested time and energy into a small detail that delivers a delightful surprise for the thousands of folks who pass through that terminal each day. 

The good news is that we have daily opportunities to create moments like this for the people around us. At this uniquely stressful time, a small thing like a warm smile, a thoughtful compliment, or a funny line might just provide the bounce that some weary traveler needs.
 
And unlike the springy/spongy walkways at SFO, we don’t have to let people walk all over us!