Friday, November 6, 2009

Human Connections

Over the last two weeks I've become much more aware of basic human connections. While there are heights and terrible lows inherent with these relationships, they are essential to us for growth and maturation.

I've pondered the joys of connections and rediscovered how integral they are for the affirmation of my sense of who I am. There is delight in recognizing myself as I hear others talk, regardless of age. It's not an age 'thing', but a state of being the person I am and finding a kind of unity with another.

There is also the opposite; the absolute rift in effective communication with another as if we're broadcasting on completely different frequencies and unable to receive messages from the other. There has to be a willingness on both sides to bridge the chasm. Alone, one person cannot build a bridge. As I reflect on these failures, I often gain new insights about why the communication doesn't and possibly can't work now. If I'm honest with myself, I often recognize something of my weaknesses in these failures because they also reveal my faults.

It is an element of relationship, not defined by blood, but by a desire to learn and understand more about the other. It entails risk and adventure because the very nature of true communication is that both will be changed in some way, even when the connection cannot be made.

Does this make sense to you? I hope so. And if not, maybe I did not write well, or I just have more to learn.

1 comment:

Susan Carpenter Sims said...

This absolutely makes sense to me. I, too, love to make those connections. (And I'm really enjoying ours!)

I like the way you bring in the issue of communication rifts. There have been so many times I've been the only one trying to build a bridge and didn't even realize it until much later.

Being able to view these situations in a way that provides growth and insight is the only thing that redeems them.

Thanks for this very succinct post! You illuminate the idea that the "failed" connections are just as important as the "successful" ones.