Truly a big deal or not ?

The quest out there is before us. Learning to love our life, learning to forgive ourselves. And moving forward to help others. Helping those people we know and best of all the people who are strangers. Therein lies the rewarding adventure for me. The other day a mother managing two children was trying to buy lunch at a counter in line ahead of me. She could not make up her mind. And the children...one in a carrying pouch and the other sitting in a grocery cart were like roving dancing ants. Round and round. This mom was trying to get food for her kids. Not hold anyone up and make a good decision. I just instinctively told her to take her time. She stepped back and said "That's ok" and opened the counter to me. I then made my order and looked back at her as she now knew what she wanted.

I told her to step up and break line as I had sort of held her place. People in line behind me.She made her order and profusely thanked me. And it was truly not a big deal. But for her it meant the world. I took my sandwich and walked out to the office. I felt so heroic for that moment. And it was truly not a big deal.I don't recount it for compliments. I write this to remind myself to slow down. And the benefits thereof.

Two days ago I was sitting with some friends and a lady recognized one of guys I was having coffee with. She looked as if she was in her late 60's if not 70. She and my friend reminisce about some old times. Then she said to him, "Did you know Don Turner?" He said Yes and then she told the story of how Don Turner went to prison after it was found 10-15 years later that he had molested a number of boys in his scout troop as he was a scout master. The woman's eyes quickly floated in tears, but tears did not drop. She then said, "Oh dear God I feel so bad, because one day when my son was a boy and he was sick. I let Don Tuner go up to his room and see him." You knew in that moment this woman was releasing some guilt from this terrifying story. My friend calmed her a bit. And she spoke a bit more. Then she caught her breath and they exchanged more discussion about the old neighborhood they shared. Later in the same store I saw her and she smiled at me and waved at me with a much more relieved face. Here was a woman that let go of a secret story and we helped her. God knows how long she carried it without telling anyone. A crystalized moment that afterwards I realized was a truly a big deal. Again it took a bit of time to listen but it helped me gain the understand of the power of helping through listening. The sum total of it all is that something that really isn't a big deal can mean a huge deal and life repairing moment for another fellow human being.

Meet me in Outer Space

Out of the corner of my eye I saw him. He moved the angle of his body toward me. In front of me was a museum TV monitor repeatedly showing the U.S. Landing on the moon, with commentary by Walter Cronkite. It was the last day of a special exhibit on Walter Cronkite at the LBJ Library in Austin, Texas. Cronkite appeared retelling how he was caught speechless when they Neil Armstrong and crew touched down on the moon. There I finally gave way and asked the man
"Where were you?" With a broad face and large features, oversized aviator glasses, guessing him to be in his late 60's. "I was at NASA. I was there as part of the Lockheed Space Group". In that moment I had that Alien point of contact with another being.

The need for all of us to make contact and share something we believe is extraordinary with each other. This man was beaming and told me "It was the most proudest moment of my life". I could only respond with exclamations. Light just glowed from his face. He wanted to know where I was...I told him I was watching from a kitchen TV in the back of a restaurant in Monterrey, Mexico. The cook was yelling something like "El Hombre en la Luna".
The man nodded to connect that I had the experience too.

Here was a simple moment. A momentous one for us as humans. To experience the connection. Unplanned. Out of the blue. It is like stepping out into our own Outer Space. Connecting on the same ground with a total stranger.

Sharing something together. When you open your eyes you can see moments like this. It takes place more often than you think. Look around. If it happens savor it.