I recently found myself walking past a former place of work. It was a Monday at 6pm. I looked around and noticed there was no traffic. None! This is a place that would normally be jammed with cars honking and jostling for a car length edge at the stop light. It was surreal, even a little unsettling.
Nearby, where I was meeting friends for dinner, I saw the same thing. Empty tables, no one at the bar elbowing their way into an opening and trying to get the bartender’s attention.
I know this place. I’ve driven it, walked it, even flown over it. It’s what I know.
To be fair, it was a nice surprise. I didn’t come here to be reminded of the traffic. I came to spend time with friends. They arrived with Greg … all smiles.
We chatted the way friends do, catching up and sharing stories of our lives since the last time we were together. I stopped noticing the unusual setting, my spirits lifted.
The familiarity was absolutely about who we were with, not where we were or what we knew about this place.
After dinner, we strolled back to their condo and shared a bottle of wine over more stories and laughs.
We talked about plans for the future. Geoff shared the premise of a new book he’s working on. Tal had us all laughing about a study she’d read about the type of person who believes in conspiracy theories. Greg and I filled them in on ideas for upcoming trips.
The evening turned late and we got up to go. There were hugs and promises to visit again soon.
There’s a whole world out there waiting to be explored. Comfort and familiarity with loved ones is worth the trip.
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