Maybe

“People are weird here,” he said, as he rolled his eyes and sat tall with his surfer-like blonde hair and story telling attitude. “I have been here six weeks and I haven’t met anyone.”

“You’re trying to convince the wrong person,” I responded. “I think if you’re not meeting anyone you’re not leaving your house.” I’m thinking here’s this young kid “temporarily” in a place full of the same kind of people, all here for some definition of temporary, and he can’t meet anyone? In six weeks? I was here six minutes and made friends. And it’s not just me, they make it really easy for you. That’s just how it is.

More likely, it was his attitude. He might have thought the same thing about any place he’d visited, any people. If you act as if you’re alone, there is a good chance you’ll stay that way. For me, though, it has been the opposite. For me, there has been nothing like that island to remind me that none of us actually is one.

We are connected. We are in this together and, in fact, we need it that way. Guilty as we all can be from time to time of making decisions as if we impact nothing, the reminders that we do not stand alone are all over. Maybe you need a reminder. Maybe you always remember this when you act. Maybe you don’t. Maybe now is a good time to start.

_______

(Note: Yes, Tom, I will talk about running again very soon.)