Friday, April 01, 2005

For the love of laughter

I have returned from jury duty with great respect for the court system and the people who run it. We issued a just and fair verdict and I met some great people. Perhaps I'll write more about it someday.

Life has been very very tough this week. But thankfully I've been meeting sweet people all over the place. Feeling so vulnerable in my skin has forced me to engage in conversations with strangers on public transportation. Usually I'm stuck in my music and my book and my knitting. I usually loath these meaningless conversations with my fellow commuters. But this week -- this week of holy-holy-hellyist-holy-hell -- I've been chatting with people. It passes the time. I encounter new ideas and new perspectives. Some people make me laugh. This is a very valuable skill right now. The ability to make me laugh. Laughter. Lightheartedness. Distraction. Release.

A man previously referred to as Mr. Flirt made me laugh this morning. His wife's birthday was last night. He bought her a 22" rolly suitcase, and had her wedding ring refurbished. He spotted my rolly bag and made conversation. Before you know it, we were swapping stories of airports, baggage claim, and the crowded overhead compartments. Moments later, three other commuters joined in. It was a party. And I laughed. A lot. It was divine.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the uplifting post. I tend to 'close myself in' too, but in recent years I've been chatting more with people at the grocery, on the bus, wherever (often to my family's chagrin.) But acknowledging others and connecting even briefly as humans really gives you a lift and lights a little candle in the world.
Kristen (not Pollyanna!)

Katie said...

Hey, if you still have it, would you be willing to bring your Bistro shirt to MIT Thursday? I'm interested in buying the pattern but would love to see a finished one first to decide.