This post isn't directly related to Scientology, but has a bearing on your conduct as a person and Scientologist. It points up the odd ways in which the dynamics can interconnect, and your responsibility in relation to others on those dynamics.

Years ago, I worked at a company that bought used VHS tapes and sold them to small "Mom and Pop" video stores. I was the computer guy for that company. It wasn't a big company, maybe 15 people.

One of the sales people (we'll call her Sally) was a funny middle-aged lady with a husband and teen-aged son.

One day (I suppose it was one of those "bring your kid to work" days), she brought her son in to work with her. He wandered about, poking his head into offices and asking questions. He poked his head into my office at one point, and we had a brief conversation.

Years later, my daughter was working at an insurance company, and it just so happened that one of the salesmen there was this kid's father. When he found out that my daughter was related to me, he told her this story about his son. Apparently, this kid was a problem kid. He was kind of wayward, on his way to a potentially troubling future. The kid had come to work with his mom one day and talked to this computer guy who worked there (me). And as a result of that conversation, he had decided what he wanted to do with his life. And he ceased to be a problem kid any more.

My daughter related that story to my wife, who told it to me. I had forgotten all about the young man and the conversation I had with him. To this day, I couldn't tell you what we said, though I did finally recall that I had had a brief conversation with a kid one time when I worked for the video company.

Now, I tell you this story not to brag on what a great guy I am, but to make a point about the influence you may have on other people's lives, without realizing it.

When I was told this story, several things occurred to me. First, if it hadn't been for the happy coincidence that the father of this lad worked at the same company my daughter did, I never would have known what happened in the first place.

Second, I was stunned that something so meaningless to me as a passing conversation with a young man could result in such a profound change in his life.

Third, if I could have such an influence on one boy's life, how many other people's lives might have been changed by my presence or communication? I'm not necessarily the smartest, funniest or best looking guy in the room. I'm not the President or some movie star. I'm just a guy. And yet, without realizing it, I had changed someone's life in a fundamental way. Perhaps there were others I had influenced without realizing it.

Fourth, I realized that this placed an onus on me to conduct myself in a way which would present a positive influence on other people's lives.

And since I'm not the only person on this planet who communicates to other people, it might behoove you to think about this in terms of your life. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only person around here who has an unknown but potentially large influence on others in my environment. Maybe you do too, and you aren't aware of it. Maybe all of us do. And maybe we should consider how that might serve to influence our own conduct.

Just something to think about.