Today was a whirlwind of differing experiences with humanity - some good and some bad.
After taking the girls to school, we had our regular Spirit of Knitting meeting/therapy session at a local Jewish deli. We have eaten here nearly every Thursday morning since last August. The waitress knows what we all like to drink and has our beverages at "our" table before we even sit down. And, because we are most often creatures of habit, she also knows what we want to eat. Perhaps this is because one of us (not me!) orders french fries with both ketchup and jelly. That is memorable breakfast fare! The conversation usually drifts, sometimes without notice, between knitting, family, food, life, just about anything. I think that such conversations are the essence of real friendship.
After breakfast and before teaching my class at 2, we went to the knit shop. That was a whole different atmosphere. The four of us who had breakfast together have an unspoken agreement of equality. We all bring different things to the table (literally and figuratively); all are valuable and all are respected. This is not the way at the knit shop. It seems hard for anyone there to find good or beauty in any thing or any one other than themselves.
What is it with grown, supposedly mature, woman who act like they are regressing to the terrible two's? Toddlers are renowned for believing that the world revolves around them. By the time we are 50+ reality should have hit and it should be patently obvious that the world does not revolve us. How can people walk through each day with no clue as to how their actions impact on those around them? Why do people feel like they have th right to put down others in an effort to validate themselves? Are people really so insecure and unhappy with themselves? If so, this world is in a pathetic state. Listening to people cut each other into tiny pieces literally caused me physical pain today. We left the shop long before I had to be at school because I could not take that environment any longer. A trip to the bookstore to buy The Natural Knitter was an attempt to calm my nerves, one that was not totally successful.
My class went well. My view of humanity was somewhat redeemed. ANd then, this evening Erin had a soccer game. That too was a pleasant experience. But the real redemption of my poor attitude towards humanity in general came from a phone call that I had this evening.
I am not much for phone calls. But somehow this one was different. I talked with my office mate from graduate school, whom I have not spoken with in nearly 15 years. Much has happened and changed in both of our lives since we last talked with one another. Yet, it seemed like no time at all had passed. In some ways, our conversation flowed easier this evening than it did when we saw each other every day. I wish I understood what makes some people so easy to talk with and others it takes every ounce of Christianity that I have just to utter an insincere "hello". My phone call tonight did wonders for forcing me to reconsider my pervasive attitude of the day that said that the human race is a bunch of self-serving, egocentric, mean beings. I was definitely not thinking, "what would Jesus do?" So, God had to step in and send me a phone call to remind me that all shall be well, all shall be well, all manner of things shall be well.
I am going to bed giving thanks for those who are truly my friends and thinking kinder thoughts, at least for the moment, about my fellow man.
