The short answer is yes but you didn’t think I was only going to give you a short answer, did you?
Nowadays when you ask someone if they are connected it brings to mind things like Twitter, Facebook and a dozen other social media outlets that I don’t even know about.
The biology of our body is connected. In simple terms we know that the heart is our pump, through which blood flows, bringing oxygen and nutrients to our organs, while removing debris and toxins. Our bodies connect to one another through hugs, handshakes, and simply sharing a space together. As individuals we connect with the people we live with, our neighbors and close friends, and perhaps on a lesser scale with our wide flung family members and friends.
This week I was reminded just how many other ways we are connected. Family has been staying with us all week and together we have been exploring Washington. The Old Ebbitt Grill was a recommended restaurant by my cousin’s co-worker, Lisa, as she used to work there. So off we went one evening.
This restaurant is a ‘stones throw’ from The White House. We learned that it is the place to be seen if you are in the political circles and forget going there without a reservation. With all the political pundits presently off on the campaign trail, and Lisa making the reservation for us, we never expected a wait. Wrong!
Not to worry, there are four bars in the restaurant, none of which can be seen from the front section, but we found the closest one. We also found Brian. He sounds like he just got off the boat but he actually left Scotland for the United States thirty years ago. Paul’s family is of Scottish descent and his parents are from the same area as Brian. Lots to talk about, including Lisa who he knew very well, in between serving drinks of course.
Then he heard the rest of us are Jamaican. Not only did he seem able to name just about every Reggae artist that ever was, he has also seen Bob Marley live, and after dinner we went back to the bar where he played his Reggae music for all to hear.
We are so connected. And in so many ways – through music, shared events, friends, and places visited just to name a few.
I remember a few years ago when I lived in Cold Lake, Alberta--closer to Santa than I ever thought possible--our next door neighbors got the news that they were to be transferred to Toronto, so off they went on their house hunting trip. They found a house they were interested in, and while sitting on the porch chatting with the owners as they waited for the realtor to arrive, my neighbours discovered that they were actually talking to my good friends.
Six degrees of separation reigns supreme. Stories abound. I bet you have your own. It reminds me that we are not all that different. We may look different, think a little differently, perhaps even sound a bit strange, but we feel the same things and have the same basic need for love, peace and joy.
Most of all, even if we don’t realize it, we like this feeling of connection because at our very core we are all one.