Think about it. The smallest detail might be the one thing that wins the day. It might be the meaningless piece that becomes the key to complete understanding. Recognizable random occurrences are opening new worlds.
We’ve been talking a lot lately about Infrastructure Week around the Grading & Excavation Contractor editorial offices. It is described as “The premier, nationally-recognized platform to educate the public and key decision-makers, and to elevate and amplify infrastructure as a core issue impacting American communities and competitiveness.” This is its fourth year and it runs from May 16 to May 23.
We’re not only talking about it when it comes to Grading & Excavation Contractor magazine. The discussion also involves all of its sister magazines, Stormwater, Erosion Control, Business Energy, Water Efficiency, Energy Storage Solutions, and MSW Management. Each magazine addresses at least one or two infrastructure categories. It’s a very big discussion that spans from roads and bridges to sewage and waste to the water supply to the electrical grid. There is so much going on all at once when it comes to infrastructure that I’m afraid I might miss that insignificant detail that results in what Oprah Winfrey calls an “ah-ha” moment.
I’ll explain what I’m talking about by referencing my favorite line from my favorite movie. Rocky won the Academy Award for best picture in 1977. My favorite line comes at the very end of the movie so, spoilers! Rocky has just gone the distance with Heavyweight Champion Apollo Creed. Chaos engulfs the ring as the music builds. The fight announcers are trying to interview Rocky, but Rocky starts calling for Adrian. Over and over it’s, “Adrian! Adrian!” At the same time, Adrian, who was waiting in the locker room, has begun trying to make her way to the ring and to Rocky. She’s calling over and over, “Rocky! Rocky!” She gets bounced around a little by the crowd, which causes her to lose the red beret she’s wearing. When Adrian finally makes it ringside, her brother Paulie (who has been a bit of an antagonist of hers) is trying to get into the ring. Paulie lifts the rope to help Adrian climb into the ring. “Adrian, Adrian!” “Rocky?” “Adrian!” “Rocky!” And here is my favorite line of my favorite movie: Rocky says, “Where’s your hat?”
Amid all the chaos, having just fought the heavyweight champion, the winner of the fight is being announced, the announcers are peppering him with questions, it’s the biggest night in the history of his life, and he loves and cares about Adrian so much that he notices something as insignificant as the hat that she was wearing is now gone.
Back to our discussion of Infrastructure Week, let’s try not to miss the “Where’s your hat?” moment. Let’s find that split second that could shine the light on something epic.
