I stopped along my travels down a winding country road today just to pop in and say hello to two congregants. I love sitting in their home, surrounded by glass windows opening into the vista of their ‘back 40'. I love the fire place crackling with the warmth peculiar to wood. I love their deep Southern voices washing over me like a warm bath. I love their company.
We always have good conversations during these visits, with topics ranging far and wide. From politics and politicians we wander into local affairs then to war and rumors of war then to a grandson deployed in Afghanistan then to the ecology and how to make a difference in protecting our beloved planet earth.
There is no agenda, no set plan, no particular destination in mind when we set out on these conversational journeys. When we begin, I never know where we’ll go.
I love being surprised this way. I especially love the surprise of my own preconceptions being unbalanced, unhinged, unwarranted. Whatever I may assume that ‘Southern’ or ‘Northern’ means . . .whatever I may assume that young or old, healthy or sick, married, divorced or single, white, black or brown, or any of the myriad of other categories into which we place each other . . . whatever I assume, even, and perhaps especially, when I don’t think I’m assuming anything at all, my assumptions are, in a word, wrong.
I love being surprised by the people I love.
That is a good conversation.
We always have good conversations during these visits, with topics ranging far and wide. From politics and politicians we wander into local affairs then to war and rumors of war then to a grandson deployed in Afghanistan then to the ecology and how to make a difference in protecting our beloved planet earth.
There is no agenda, no set plan, no particular destination in mind when we set out on these conversational journeys. When we begin, I never know where we’ll go.
I love being surprised this way. I especially love the surprise of my own preconceptions being unbalanced, unhinged, unwarranted. Whatever I may assume that ‘Southern’ or ‘Northern’ means . . .whatever I may assume that young or old, healthy or sick, married, divorced or single, white, black or brown, or any of the myriad of other categories into which we place each other . . . whatever I assume, even, and perhaps especially, when I don’t think I’m assuming anything at all, my assumptions are, in a word, wrong.
I love being surprised by the people I love.
That is a good conversation.
It sounds like you were sitting with my grandparents! I love the way you described our home and the way their voices sound, I felt like I was there with you all. Reading this was a truly unexpected gift!
ReplyDeleteAshley - you nailed it! Aren't they just grand? Miss you.
DeleteThis is how it is supposed to be, we can do this in the country but it is a lot different in the city.
ReplyDeleteThis is really nice post. Thanks for sharing with us. Effective conversations training
ReplyDelete