Talk about making the most of your opportunities. Talk about thinking out of the box. The late Rick Kaminski, 67, who died this week from a brain aneurysm, took one of the most ordinary tasks and became a community icon.
I wonder how many peanut vendors were starting their first day in 1977 when 32-year old Rick began working at Seattle Mariners games selling peanuts. I would guess many of them were just counting the hours until the game ended and they could stop toting their box of peanuts around the Kingdome. Others were hoping to quickly advance to selling the more lucrative products - like hot dogs or even beer! But Rick must have seen an opportunity. An opportunity not just to do his job well, but to redefine his job.
His longtime girl friend, Candi Mindt-Keene, said he his passion was to make sure the fans had a great memory to take home. He was not just selling peanuts. He was in the entertainment business! As he toted his box of peanuts around the stadium (estimated that he walked over seven miles of stadium stairs every game), he was creating those memories.
Rick developed his own style - tossing bags of peanuts to fans. He entertained. Even more than Griffey, Rodriguez or others, he could be counted on to be there as part of the Mariners game experience. He was there in the regular season. He even went to spring training to great the new year. He did not just do his job - he created a new job - one with much more appeal. The job selling peanuts at Mariners games was a job with no limits to Rick.
What a great opportunity to reflect. Are we making the most of our opportunities? Are we seeing beyond the ordinary to the extra-ordinary? What can we do with our vocations that adds value to the community? What lessons can we take from a man who sold peanuts at baseball games to shape our lives to see opportunities when others only saw dead-ends. The first step is to put passion into every opportunity. Make the most of it. Don't sell it short. With Rick's passion, he was featured as one of ESPN's top plays. Planters named him the most valuable peanut seller in America. His death was met with grief by much of the Seattle community. We can only hope that our vocation can provide similar results.
Peanuts anyone?
I wonder how many peanut vendors were starting their first day in 1977 when 32-year old Rick began working at Seattle Mariners games selling peanuts. I would guess many of them were just counting the hours until the game ended and they could stop toting their box of peanuts around the Kingdome. Others were hoping to quickly advance to selling the more lucrative products - like hot dogs or even beer! But Rick must have seen an opportunity. An opportunity not just to do his job well, but to redefine his job.
His longtime girl friend, Candi Mindt-Keene, said he his passion was to make sure the fans had a great memory to take home. He was not just selling peanuts. He was in the entertainment business! As he toted his box of peanuts around the stadium (estimated that he walked over seven miles of stadium stairs every game), he was creating those memories.
Rick developed his own style - tossing bags of peanuts to fans. He entertained. Even more than Griffey, Rodriguez or others, he could be counted on to be there as part of the Mariners game experience. He was there in the regular season. He even went to spring training to great the new year. He did not just do his job - he created a new job - one with much more appeal. The job selling peanuts at Mariners games was a job with no limits to Rick.
What a great opportunity to reflect. Are we making the most of our opportunities? Are we seeing beyond the ordinary to the extra-ordinary? What can we do with our vocations that adds value to the community? What lessons can we take from a man who sold peanuts at baseball games to shape our lives to see opportunities when others only saw dead-ends. The first step is to put passion into every opportunity. Make the most of it. Don't sell it short. With Rick's passion, he was featured as one of ESPN's top plays. Planters named him the most valuable peanut seller in America. His death was met with grief by much of the Seattle community. We can only hope that our vocation can provide similar results.
Peanuts anyone?
