I love being out here in this area because at any given point in the day, my sister-in-law, Kathryn, and I can just take off with my niece Eloise and go for an incredible walk. The temperature seems to always be perfect and within about five blocks in any direction, we eventually run into a park. Today, in attempt to make lunch come a little faster by passing the time, the three of us headed to the park a little before noon. It was a beautiful walk and by the time we made it to our destination, there were a couple of families already there playing.
Just assuming the people already there were long time friends, Eloise and I took off to play in our own little area. However, when two year olds see someone new, it’s usually not very long before they’re ready to make new friends. Here I was, essentially hiding out from interaction today, and Eloise was bursting at the seems to meet someone new. Before I knew it, Eloise came down the slide and made a bolt for the little boy’s ball he was playing with. By the time I got there, it was already too late. See, I’m not always the one that picks on people and makes them talk to me. Every once in a while, I can’t even avoid them.
Josh was there with his two preschoolers and was very welcoming of us to the area. Since he hadn’t seen us around, he was curious as to where we came from, so that was an easy place to get started. After exchanging pleasantries, Eloise was still playing nicely with the little boy, so Josh and I just kept talking. He asked me what I did, so I explained to him a little of what I had in the works, and was shocked to hear what came out of his mouth next. His wife is actually doing a version of the thing that I’m trying to figure out. She’s using her PR and marketing skills to help non-profits and charities raise their funding by hosting events and providing any services they might need to raise support and awareness.
Her company isn’t just about the money, but it’s also about raising the community awareness of what these companies and charities stand for. Most of them are based in the LA area, but it was nice to hear about what they were doing on a local level. As our conversation unfolded, I caught myself picking Josh’s brain about his wife’s work and trying to figure out how we could network a little and become better friends. It’s one thing to find someone that is supportive of what I’m doing, but it’s a totally different thing to find someone that’s doing what I want to do. By raising support and awareness for someone else’s work, this family is working at a version of my dream job. I would just love to add a little additional international and ministerial flavor.
We traded e-mail addresses and other information and went back to the kids. I had to thank Eloise for this encounter. I was more than comfortable in my own bubble, doing my own thing, when I had no idea who the person was next to me. Not that I ever want to see people as networking tools or information, but it was just a nice conversation that led to that. Would I have been just as grateful if Josh and his wife both worked in the corporate world and were just there raising a family, with nothing to offer me? I would like to say I hope so. This year long project is hopefully adjusting the way I look at people. Either way, I have to be thankful for a two year old that can help break me out of my own shell on days like today, and keep me persistent in learning how to love others.
