People Do Make the World go Round
“How your vista or view of people changes”
My wife and I took a little time to get away recently. I am sure I do not need to tell you how good it is to step away from the everyday routines. We had an opportunity to see some things we had not seen before as well as do some things we had not done before. It was all that we hoped for and more, exciting, energizing, exhausting and educational . Perhaps at another time, I will talk more specifically about places but that is not my motivation for writing and sharing my thoughts with you today. What I want to lament on here is far more important than places, sites or things; and that is people. As often happens when you are away, we were able to visit with family and friends as well as meet new people.
We were very fortunate to have people that were happy to make themselves and their time available for us. My wife points out that it was great that we had the opportunity to spend time with three people that have lived there for different lengths of time and have very different perspectives on where they live. We spent our first night and second day with a family member that has lived there for several years. She took us to places of interest to her, and shared her views on all that we saw and it was very much enjoyable. More importantly, over the day and a half we spent with her traveling and over meals, we leisurely engaged in conversation to get ourselves caught up and chitchat about whatever. That was a great start to our visit. Next, we spent a day with a new family friend that has lived there for two years. She took us to places she felt we would be interested in, she was right and again while traveling and over a meal, we had lively conversation sharing thoughts and getting to know one another.
We also spent several days with two more family members, a father and his son that have lived there for many years. His assessment on where they live is well seasoned. He too, was kind enough to take us to points he believed would be of interest to us. As with the others, he was right. Again, their points of interest were very different and all were as exciting as the other and adding much value to our visit.
Our total travel experience on this trip was possibly as good as we have ever had for two reasons.
1- At this time in our lives, my wife and I are in a fairly stress free space and yes, we know very well how fleeting moments can be, “perhaps I will write on that subject at a later time”.
2- It was simply great to get to spend the time we did with people we do not get to see often.
My take away from this trip and point of clarity for me was how you can get to know people that you may have thought you knew. That is how our vista or view of a person can change drastically. I am sure we all have felt that way about people before. Truth of the matter is for whatever reason we just do not always reach out enough to get to know them. A well-known writer, Garry Zukav once wrote, “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change”. In truth, it is not the people that change; it is how we look at them that changes. In fact, when we care to slow down and focus, we may be looking at a person and seeing them for the first time with an open heart and open mind. Far too often, what we think we know about people is based on what we may hear from others and on some rather limited snippets or short glances we may get of that person.
We have all heard the term someone “dances to a different beat”. On this trip, I choose to dance as much as I could to someone else’s beat and get to know them for the pure sake of getting to know them for myself and get a true understanding of their thought process with no hidden or personal agenda. What I found in this full vista or view of a person was, someone that is very clear on who they are and what is best for them. Someone that has a lot to offer, “If you know how to accept it”; someone that is a proud, caring father and last but not least, a friend.
I would like to share an interesting excerpt from one of our conversations that may be thought provoking for you.
“I often say you can learn from everyone you meet, you just have to learn to eat the meat and spit out the bones. The reply I got was, yes; but save the bones, you just may need them later; waste not, want not”.
My wife and I truly enjoyed this trip, in large part it was due to the company we kept. People do make the world go round.
In closing, when you get the chance, take the time to get to know someone that you may just think you know. It could enrich your life.
