I watched a group of youngsters in a classroom and realized there were two different groups of kids.
The majority were working, pencils flying across the paper as they sat with their feet tucked underneath them.
A small group of youngsters were bouncing around the room, touching all the toys, talking loudly, and the teacher had to constantly redirect those young ones.
What struck me was that the loud and demanding minority got all the attention. The others had obviously learned early on that they were pretty much on their own.
They turn their homework in on time, figure out what they need to do and work until they finish their assignment.
But the rambunctious ones got all the attention. Their actions demanded the teacher’s almost undivided attention.
There was no way this teacher could let them destroy things in the classroom, annoy the other children or not answer their constant pleas to get water or go to the bathroom.
The ones who quietly did what they were supposed to do are the “under-the-radar” students. They seldom cause any ruckus in class and follow the rules posted on the bulletin board.
It’s not just in a classroom where the under-the-radar people carry out their daily lives.
We see them in offices. They’re the employees who come to work a little early and leave a little late. They don’t take advantage of coffee breaks, and they quietly and efficiently do what they’re supposed to do.
On the flip side, there’s the show offs – they talk loudly, pop rubber bands and demand an audience for everything they’re doing, from shredding paper to trying to decide what path to take to solve a problem. They demand others’ time and attention and they usually get it.
That observation doesn’t stop there. Think about your commute to and from work. We don’t remember the drivers who stop at red lights, yield at intersections and play music so only they can hear it.
Instead, we remember the jerk that cut us off when it was time to merge, the young punk with her music playing at ear-splitting volume with all the windows down and the slow-poke that jams up traffic for a mile behind them.
We’re not thankful or grateful for the majority of people who do what they’re supposed to do. Instead we concentrate on the rude, inconsiderate people, and they’re actually in the minority.
If you have more than one child, you understand this phenomenon. One child is perfectly happy no matter what breakfast you put down in front of them.
They’re content with the peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch, and chicken tenders and macaroni and cheese for dinner suits them just fine. We seldom stop and acknowledge that they accepted what was given graciously.
But there’s always one who, if you gave them Cocoa Puffs for breakfast, they wanted Frosted Flakes. You put the PB&J sandwich down in front of them, and it’s an instant melt down because you cut the sandwich in triangles, not squares.
And don’t even get started about the shape of the macaroni that’s covered in cheese.
Maybe it’s time we pay a little more attention to the “under-the-radar” people and stop assuming they’re doing fine.
Give them a smile and a pat on the back and remember that just because they’re not making any noise that doesn’t mean they don’t need help or encouragement. They need as much if not more than the wild and loud ones.
It’s not hard to find these “under-the-radar” people – just look for those quietly doing what they’re supposed to be doing without demanding an audience.
Acknowledge their existence, compliment what they’re doing and thank the stars we have these “under-the-radar” people – they keep the world running smoothly.
This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.