I was in the doctor's office not long ago to have some routine tests. While I was waiting in the room by myself, my iPhone randomly decided that I needed to see the the above picture. My wife took this photo of me with a Native American dancer at the Grand Canyon a few months ago. Looking at the photo, I quickly remembered the tour guide on our journey, who gave us a quick summary of the Havasupai tribe .
Without reciting his entertaining history lecture, our group was told by the guide that this group of Native American people lived for over 800 years in or around the Grand Canyon . Although their life was hard, they lived in relative peace. Their area of land was about the size of the present state of Delaware. In 1882, they were forced by the Federal Government of the United States to abandon all of their land except 518 acres.
It is a very sad story to say the least; not unlike many other stories regarding the forced migration of Native Americans . However; what struck me throughout our time touring the North Rim of the Grand Canyon , was the wonderful attitude of the people who worked there (mainly Native Americans); particularly our tour guide. His interaction with his customers was not only enthusiastic; I witnessed young people in our group who wanted to know more about the history. The guide, who said he grew up in the area, went out of his way to interact with the young people who asked questions. Instead of painting a picture of gloom and tragedy, he painted a picture of hope. He told a story about how a group of people had made the best of a sad situation. Our guide that day was as good as any college professor I have ever heard. He was as entertaining as any stand-up comedian on television. His attitude shined bright when he said, " We as a people had a choice- we could continue to be bitter about what happened to us or we could adapt and make the best of a bad situation. Our elders chose to fight through the legal system, regaining around 185,000 acres in the 1970's. The secret to our recent success has been to keep a positive attitude no matter what. "
His words that day had a positive impact on everyone in our group. My thoughts about that young man at the Grand Canyon were interrupted when the nurse came in to check my vitals. I smiled and began our conversation by saying, "I hope you are having a great day."
She smiled back and said, " Not really, but thank you for asking. We talked for a few minutes. I made her laugh. Before she walked out of the room, she said, "Thank you for making my day."
Our words and our attitude make a big difference- even when we meet people we have never met. Put a smile on your face and say something nice to somebody today. It will make your day. Like the tour guide said, "The secret to our recent success has been to keep a positive attitude no matter what."
Comments