I was pushing my son’s stroller around the corner in Costco when I saw a tall man who looked like a lumberjack crossed with a surfer. He also looked as though he could be related to a friend of mine, and I wondered if I would be friends with this man, too. In my contemplation, he happened to walk by me, but not without looking me dead in the eyes and saying, “Garden Marcus.” with a nod and a smile.
I’ve been recognized before; at grocery stores, coffee shops, planes, the Texas Renaissance Fair, and so on, but it hadn’t occurred to me when I noticed this man that he might be familiar with my work.
“You know who I am?” I asked, admittedly caught off guard. I will never forget his response.
“Of course. You have fans everywhere.”
And then he was gone to continue his business. I looked around for my wife, unsure if I had understood correctly or if the interaction had even happened. She met up with me, and asked:
“What? Did somebody recognize you?” And as she finished her question, the man walked by again.
“Have a good day!” I called out to him.
“You, too, brother.” And he kept moving at his quick pace toward the front of the store where the checkout is.
The interaction was almost eerie, and it was more notable than it would have been otherwise because I was recognized the day before in a place even less expected than Costco.
My wife and I took our friend to my favorite restaurant, a local Indian spot in an unassuming complex. Few restaurants in the area rival this one for taste, consistency, price, and staff, but it’s never crowded. I’ve never seen anyone I know dining there, but this time, someone knew me.
On her way out of the bathroom, a woman stopped by our table and said, “Garden Marcus…?” It was more a statement than a question.
“I follow you and I have your book. You have helped me a lot, please keep doing what you’re doing. I’m sorry to interrupt.” Before I could wrap my mind around the interaction, she was on her way to her table.
It’s amusing to me to be recognized because most of the people I meet in person are not familiar with my book or online presence. Before going to Costco, I attended a local speaker series & networking event where nobody was familiar with my work before talking to me.
When I began to grow online a few years ago, I frequently said to my wife: “I can’t take it seriously because I don’t know if any of these people are real. They could be robots!” In 2020, people weren’t going out as often and weren’t as recognizable, so I didn’t have in-person encounters to affirm the impact I’d had online.
Meeting followers or readers in person shows me that at least a few of my followers are real humans, and I appreciate people coming up to say hello.
Crossing people who are familiar with my work or have discovered me online reminds me of how powerful social media is, and more specifically, how we can connect with others. My mission with social media is to share kindness, patience, and positivity, and when people thank me for my content, I know I’m accomplishing my goal.
Our online posts can go places we don’t anticipate. Let’s use that power to foster a better world.
Nice!!!