I was finding myself at what I thought to be an advantage today when I heard that someone I don’t know passed away. The person who passed is a relative of someone who is a friend of someone I know. Pardon the chain. My thoughts and prayers went out for this family right away. The circumstances saddened my heart. In taking a few minutes of quiet time in the middle of the day I realized just how many times this person I know has experienced pain and loss since I have known him. He not only has a large family, he also knows and is friends with a lot of people. He has touched a lot of lives with the paths he has chosen in life. He is one of the few most honorable people I have met in my lifetime.
I find myself wondering now if I consider myself lucky that I don’t know that many people. The fewer people I know, the less I will experience loss, right?
My family is large, but really only those of us considered “immediate” are very close. Other than Facebook, I really don’t have any contact with ‘friends’. And I don’t really spend time outside of work with my co-workers, other than the occasional office party or fundraiser. I rarely experience a direct loss.
This sounds very black and white. I want to assure all of you that I do have feelings; very deep feelings. I am very happy with my family: parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, sister, kids, husband, etc. I have no family feuds or issues. The few friends I do have are wonderful people. Frequently, my friends consist of family members. I’ve just never felt the need to socialize outside of my circle. Other than meeting new people as future contacts for furthering my career, I am perfectly happy where I’m at.
I realize that the person I mentioned earlier is an individual who is naturally welcoming and social. He makes a lot of connections through the various fundraisers he is involved with and the boards he is on. And, while I am a friendly person also, I am definitely much more of an introvert.
Some people would say, “Well, if you’re happy where you’re at in life, then don’t worry about it.” While others would ask, “What are you going to do when you’re small ‘circle’ is gone?”
What do you say?
