Some People Fill a Room. Some Empty It.

Some People Fill a Room. Some Empty It.

I’ve noticed something during my time serving the public—There is a quiet, invisible exchange that happens with every person who walks through the door.

Some people carry a light within them that can lift the space they enter. They smile. They ask thoughtful questions. They carry curiosity and social awareness.

These individuals give more than they take — Even if they don’t buy a thing, their very presence feels like a gift. When they walk out the door, the space feels lighter, and so do I.

Other people come in, and the energy changes — They move through the space like it owes them something. They take my attention, my time, my warmth, without ever really noticing it’s being given.

When they leave, I often find myself strangely hollow, like I’ve been quietly emptied. Not by one dramatic moment, but by a slow siphon.

I’ve learned to recognize the difference by quietly observing and reflecting on each interaction.

Some folks carry a sense of fullness with them: of self-awareness, of ease, of gratitude. Others seem to be reaching outward, not to connect, but to consume — looking to be filled without offering anything in return.

Tracie & James are two beautiful humans who know how to move through a room socially and offer others warmth & connection.

They often dress to match—I’ve made them both felt hats and straw hat as seen above. Whenever I see them, I am left energized by our interaction.

As Maya Angelou once said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”