In all areas of my life, I have the opportunity to come into contact with a LOT of people. Work people, dog people, drumming people, community people, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. I'm not saying that I have more opportunity than most people, but those specific pockets have big social potential.
What may be unique is that I often feel drawn to actually connect with so many people in those arenas.
Admittedly, I am much more of a one-on-one person than a crowd person. I can be in crowds and participate in activities that are "group" in nature, but I'm much more content when I can feel engaged in smaller groups or with individuals. If it comes down to a matter of quality vs. quantity, I guess I prefer the richness of my relationships.
At work, recently, I find myself face-to-face with people I worked alongside nearly 20 years ago. The memories aren't as clear, and I can't name their children any more, but there's something about the flicker of recognition in their eyes and the way we pause for more than just a quick "hello" that tells me I've been this way for a very long time. And with my newer work colleagues, the nature of my job, and the advent of facebook that sometimes blends my personal and professional lives, the connections go beyond the workplace.
In my life outside of work, it's even more evident that I not only connect, but almost attach to people, often in the most unlikely ways. Not that it bothers me, but the realization of that fact really wonders me.
About a week ago, I sat across the street on the neighbor's porch with the kids and their mom. As I sat with my legs dangling over the front of the porch, I soaked up the familiarity of that position - just a year ago, I spent collective hours sitting right there, feeding and trying to befriend a large number of feral cats in the hopes of trapping and placing them in safe new homes.
As I sat there, I thought about three of the seven I was able to re-home in a single place, and made a mental note to check back in with the woman who was kind enough to take them. All of the new homes were found through craigslist, believe it or not. And of three homes, this one was the best. Two kitties were trapped in the first round and the lady was patient and willing enough to take the last one, which took me weeks to catch.
Maybe it was the shared journey that lasted more than just a trap, transport, and transfer that created a deeper connection, but I felt so blessed for that more lasting connection. These kitties were to become barn kitties and live safely in a large tack room. I was able to visit them after they moved there, and as I lived many years with horses in my life, she invited me to see the new baby (horse, that is) and also invited me over to ride. We only rode once, but it was a huge event for me to be back in the saddle after so many years, and she even took pictures of me that I posted on facebook! The last kitty placed with her turned up with a painful internal infection and had to be put down. Sad, but I guess that was part of the journey, too.
It's been a busy week, and I haven't been on facebook much, but I did see a few pics she posted and commented on at least one. It slipped my mind to check in on the kitties after the mental note I made a week ago. What a pleasant surprise to see her chat me up on facebook this morning, specifically to let me know that the kitties (Mr. Bill and Maggie) are doing great and are now her friends! We chatted a few minutes and I felt bad that I had totally missed the fact that her husband passed away two months ago. I never met him, but I did know he'd been sick. My heart goes out to her for such a loss after more than 40 years together - 39 married.
So, all that to say, it may be hard to keep up with so many people, but I feel so blessed to have those connections. And that one isn't the only lasting friendship that came from a simple craigslist ad! I have one lady who calls to check in on me and my dog, Solomon, as we've both had health issues in the past year. Another periodically emails photos to me so show how a life-size dummy she got from me is helping with each new fund-raising activity.
It's a rich life.
Make connections....it's worth every single second it takes to stop and say more than "hello."
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