To heck with personal space. Community, anyone?

I'm sitting at my "desk" at Coffee Bean Tea Leaf, attacking some MCC application essays I've been putting off for ever, when these two men approach me. Well, I kind of saw it coming, they were sitting in the next table over when I sat down. And when they got up to leave they just approached me and started talking. The one guy (or should I call him a man? I think that makes it sound more creepy. He was 30ish looking.) just said he felt like he should talk to me as I passed by, and then when I went inside and settled down it just confirmed it to him.

Long story short, he's a Christian, works for coca-cola, and just... thought we should connect. And, it made my night. I'm not gonna lie, it does get lonely when all my local friends are either living an hour away or have a baby. And so, I saw these men coming to talk to me as a form of community building, of reaching out, of recognizing that we are not islands and that life is about relationships and the formation of them. We talked for like 15 minutes on life and what I was applying for and what they do and just.. encouraging life stuff. They left me with their business cards and an open invitation for either life coaching from one of them (I must look like I need a life face lift or something.. ((sheesh is it that obvious?!)) or just to connect with the other.

Ok now that I type this out, it looks creepy. But, I was totally comfortable talking to them and I think they were prolly just evangelizing or something, but regardless it took guts. And, I think I left them encouraged and I was encouraged.

Personal space is important for life. But so is invading that personal space and creating community. Risking uncomfortableness for the amazing fulfillment and satisfaction that relationship gives is a worth while sacrifice. I do wish I had community here. I wish people would be pro-active in getting to know me better. But these random men have inspired ME to be more proactive in getting to know people. So I think I'll call up my pastor's wife who is AWEsome (she's the most artsy, real, young-hearted, girl ever.) and see if she wants to get coffee. Because, reaching out yields good rewards.

The US culture frustrates me with how independent we all make ourselves, and how hard it is so reach out. To connect. Sucks. To hell with that. Seriously. (Can you tell I care about this?). LIFE IS ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS AND WHEN WE MAKE OURSELVES UNTOUCHABLE WE KILL A CHANCE FOR LIFE.

Make community a priority.