WE ARE ALL CONNECTED

Today’s post is a little bit of a somber one, but one that can inspire us just the same. I tend to write in a handful of locations. The one I write at most is a Starbucks not far from my house. There are many people who frequent this location as well. There is another author who is working on her first published work. There is a gent from Morocco who paints pictures and a woman who converses with everyone else. Throw into this mix a quiet man who used to bring his own mug and seat cushion. He would sit down and read for hours at a time. This could pretty much be part of my retirement plan.

Much like many of the other people mentioned above, we exist in a sort of distant community. We are all involved in our own worlds, but doing so in the same location. I cannot say that I spoke to the man with the seat cushion and book, but we did give each other a wave and nod occasionally. As I ordered my coffee today, the lady behind the counter informed me he passed away. He was an older gent and passed away peacefully in his sleep. Both of which are probably the best way to experience the transition. As I heard the news it was almost confusing how to react. On one hand, I really did not know the man well. Still, there will be one less piece to the puzzle that is the location I write at.

It started me thinking on how we are all really connected. My grandmother had a plaque on her wall with a simple saying – “You are a stranger here but once.” Meaning that after you meet someone you are no longer strangers. You have a connection. There is another cliche that I have heard over the years. “Strangers are just friends you haven’t met yet.” I would go one further and put forth that we are often connected to people we never met. How can you be connected to people you never met? Take the lady I mentioned earlier. The one working on her book. Even if we never discovered that we were both authors and began talking, we would still both be authors who write at Starbucks. This is a small example. The painter is a man who looks at the work around him and uses it for creative inspiration. That could be the description of this blog in a nutshell.

There are people we share spiritual beliefs with. There will be someone in Greenland who has the same favorite color I do. How many people share your color of eyes? Color of hair? Just because we have not physically met someone does not mean we are not connected with them in some way. Even those who seem to be our enemies, we are still connected to them. We often share the same fears and dreams. We may express them in different ways, but we share them just the same.

As the world becomes more connected through technology, we are beginning to see how many people we are connected with. You would think that with this information, the world would be more understanding and compassionate than ever. I do not have to tell you that is not the case. Sadly, many of us focus on finding people who dislike the same people we do. If we were to get to know one another without judgment, I think we would discover how we are all connected in ways we never would have thought of. Next time you are tempted to judge someone, or think less of them, know that is some way they are most likely connected to you. They may be experiencing the same struggles, be facing the same inner demons or feeling the same loss you are. Let us approach one another with a sense of connection and compassion. Remember the two sayings mentioned earlier. “You are a stranger here but once.” and “Strangers are just friends you have not met.”