A tale of two guards..........

I work in a federal building in the Kansas City area. Naturally, the building is pretty heavily guarded and fortified on the perimeter because of the 9/11/2001 terror attack. There are large cement pillars surrounding the building and there are 8-10 guards guarding the 3 main entrances.

When I walk into the building each morning around 6:00 AM, there's always the same two guards at the door. I find their demeanors to be pretty interesting and contrasting in how they present themselves. The first guard has a rough look to him. He's a chain smoker who is often guarding the building from the designated smoking area outside the doors. When he is inside the doors, he's often complaining to the other guard about something, often using curse words to describe the situation. I've also seen him in the cafeteria, bemoaning the lack of quality food and complaining that the one thing he likes isn't being offered that day. I just really can't think of a time when he's ever been pleasant to anyone.

The other guard is the exact opposite. He's a very clean-cut guy. Always has a smile on his face. He also says hello to everyone as they come in. Some people might think that his job isn't to say hi to everyone, but rather to guard the building. I'd argue that he's quickly learning faces by saying hi to everyone and it allows him to quickly identify new people coming into the building who he hasn't seen before who might be a threat to people in the facility. I also feel sorry for the guy because he watches the same door as the first guard, meaning he has to listen to all of the first guard's complaints on an everyday basis. But he doesn't seem to mind from what I've seen. Kudos to him because it would drive me nuts.

Either way, I'm sure that both of these guys are helping to keep the facility safe. I'm just amazed at the stark contrasts between the two guards.