Introduction
I found this image online years ago and thought it was something that stayed with me years after.
It’s just a bobby pin belonging to someone. Most places would probably throw away without thinking. But instead, the people at this business placed it in a little plastic sleeve, attached it to a carefully printed note, and returned it like it was something worth keeping. Probably cost them some minutes of their time, some amount of money for the materials. But what I love about it is that you can feel the care in it.
I remember seeing it and wishing everything around us had that level of intentionality. I don’t mean fanciness or grandness exactly. And I’m also not saying it from some prideful place. Lord knows how much slop I’ve put out into the world. I’m saying it from a place of wanting to see more of this around me, while also wanting to change myself so I’m not contributing to the very thing I’m complaining about.
Some examples from my life
I think about handwritten notes in the same way. Back when I was in highschool and we would play music at different events, people would sometimes give us little notes afterward thanking us. I’ve also received notes from people I mentored in the past few years. I hold on to many of these things. They probably took only a couple of minutes to write, but something about them feels better than a thank you text. Not that texts don’t mean anything, but I’m not sure, something about texts feels dwindling while the physical letter feels forever.
You also see this stuff if you visit one of those really catered michelin restaurants where every single part of the experience is tailored, even things you didn’t think could be.
Or even websites can have this quality. It works properly, respects your time, and helps you do the thing you came there to do. Should be the expectation honestly, but that’s apparently considered a high bar these days [ it should be the bare minimum ].
Concluding notes
I think part of the reason I feel this way is the way the world is today feels like a constant fight with slop. Out on the streets and on digital landscape as well. Cutting corners, optimizing money making whatever the cost may be, etc. Harder to ignore in the age of AI too. It’s easier than ever to just pump stuff out.
I also want to emphasize that we can’t get so lost in every tiny detail that we forget to actually do things. Most of the time, I don’t think intentionality means obsessing over everything. It just means noticing one more thing than you had to. Caring a little more than was “required” [ more often than not, we create requirements ourselves. observe this in your lives ].
And I think we underestimate how much power there is in that “little bit”. Do something once and it’s an act. Do it enough and it becomes a habit. Habits eventually become character. And character doesn’t stay contained to one person. It shapes homes, businesses, churches, neighborhoods, communities.
Maybe that’s why that stupid little bobby pin has stayed in my head for all these years. I’d like to live in a world with more of that. God willing, let me contribute to making that a reality. Or hopefully I learn something worthwhile while trying.