Connecting is as easy as putting down your phone and
enjoying a slice of life for a change.
In a time when being disconnected is as easy as opening your
social media app of choice, engaging with other humans in real life runs the
risk of becoming rare, unless we allow ourselves the beauty of small talk. Very
recently I was at the post office to FINALLY send my first two Estrada Crates,
when a random noise creeps me out and I make a cheeky comment to the lady in front of me.
She chuckled and we got to talking.
Little did I know that this woman’s name was Martha, that it’s
not Down Town abbey but Downton Abbey, that Netflix is as glorious as it is a
distraction from other things, that she used to work in Delta, that she now
works for a dentist, that she loves her job, that her daughter is a teacher,
and that she was about to celebrate her brother’s 60th birthday in
the coming days and wanted to do it right.
All of this information came about from one sweet conversation
between a random guy and a sweet woman. She told me she was 72, I told her she
didn’t look it, and we talked about a great many things. She asked me about my
boxes and I told her both were thank you care packages for people who supported
Puerto Rico through #Humans4PuertoRico. We talked about Puerto Rico and the situation and she asked me if
she could write to see how best to help. I responded saying I’m doing my best
to find smaller focalized causes because the larger corporations leave a lot to
be desired.
It was such a great conversation, and just because I engaged
a random person at the post office. By the end, she gave me three Ricola
lozenges because she saw me dealing with the cough and was just happy it wasn’t
the flu. She also gave me two hugs. It was such a sweet conversation and she was such a lovely surprise during my errands that it served as a great reminder of how lovely it is to indulge in
a chat with someone you don’t know just for the sake of connecting.
There’s life to be lived out there beyond your computers and
cell phones. There are amazing conversations waiting to be had. So have them.
Live. And who knows? Maybe you’ll be lucky enough to get a friend from it.
Peace, love, and maki rolls
Of course you would make friends in the post office! :)
ReplyDeletehaha I'm a fan of small talk and she was very lovely so I was very happy to chat it up :)
DeleteI've never met someone named Martha before, I know it's not necessarily a rare name.
ReplyDeleteMoments like these are wonderful.
It isn't but it's also not super common nowadays. :D And indeed, here's to many more of those moments.
DeleteJD, thank you so much for this glorious post. That lovely Martha is my beloved mother! Thank you for brightening her day just as much as she brightened yours, and praise God for these moments in which we can pause, look up, pay attention to each other, and share extraordinary joy in such ordinary moments. THANK YOU!
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy you enjoyed it so much and your mom was a delight to meet. It goes to show that there is magic in the ordinary :) My best to you as well. She told me you were a teacher and if you ever need any help for the kids, please feel free to let me know. Godbless and have a wonderful Monday :)
Delete