Did something unusual yesterday. Met a stranger. Sight unseen. At the recommendation of a friend. I was a little trepidatious. But these are different days and sometimes the comfort zone is a dangerous place to live. In search of an approach that might seem somewhat normal, I likened it to my days when I interviewed job applicants. I never knew who would walk through the door. A resume only reveals so much of a person and little of their personality.

The meeting happened over a glass of wine on the back porch as night fell and the cool breeze blew. The conversation flowed, life stories were shared, books were discussed, jobs outlined, histories revealed in the detail allowed during a short visit on a porch one day in October. It was a promising start, although one rarely knows if there was reciprocity in the finding of interest. Humans are mostly polite in that way. A smile, I enjoyed meeting you, then nothing.

I was reminded, a bit, of my days as a child, perpetually the new kid. I never did develop a knack for making friends. It always felt as though I was poking around in the dark and stumbling on things. Eventually, I learned to just keep my mouth shut and wait to be found by someone who had the knack for friendship. Of course, I’d have to hope that once I started talking they wouldn’t think, oh, that was a mistake. But such is life. Which is another reason why I miss my partner. She was a friend-maker. People liked her. They liked or endured me because of her. Now. I’m on my own. Again. Here’s hoping I’ve learned something.