Connections -- Up Close and Personal.
Music. Movies. Sports. Food. Fun.
You are there. They are there. Sharing entertainment, food, drink, and fun. You like the space. They like the space -- and, the music genre, the home team, the food and drink. "Something" brought all of us together to enjoy the same event at the same time. Whatever it was, that "something" is what we have in common. And, we're quite passionate about it. Celebrating our common interests and emotional connections pushes "division" to the side. As it should. We call it "normal".
Family. (Including Our 4-Legged Ones)
We're all wild about our kids. And, our grandkids. And, our siblings, nieces, and newphews. And, yes, those furry one's that love us, no matter what. Whether it's a soccer match, recital, play, just dropping off the kids at school, or spending cuddle time with our cats and/or dogs, these events peg the needle on our "human being" meters. We're quite willing to set aside partisan positions for the things matter most. Good for us. And, good for them.
Community.
Our organizations, schools and churches touch us on many levels. There are some things bigger than our personal view of the world. The places and people that bring us together, and work to make our communities and lives better, are great examples.
Work.
We spend the largest "chunk" of our day engaged in this. We earn a paycheck, which, in itself, is a pretty big deal. We also earn and give respect to our coworkers not as just fellow contributors, but decent human beings. Our daily "grind" elevates purpose above politics as we contribute to the each other's success .
Connections - Quietly, Respectfully Going About Our Business
The Daily Commute
The task of getting to work and back puts us, quite literally, in the path of others. Knowing "the rules" gets us there safely and efficiently. And, back again. A large percentage of the motorists we encounter every day are "different" from us in many ways. Yet they "yield" for us in round-a-bouts. They wait patiently at traffic signals when we have the "go" light. They signal to let us know their intentions. And, move over when we're attempting to merge into interstate traffic. And, we willingly reciprocate. Biases are a zero factor here. Allowing others to go about the business of getting from Point A to Point B while we do the same is the key objective. And, it works very well - 99.999% of the time. Thank you.
Getting the "Stuff" We Need.
Whether it's the corner grocery store, power retailer, or picking up fast food, we all share in the need to obtain life's basic necessities. The person in front, behind, to the side, or across the counter from us is doing the same thing, at the same place, at the same time. Do we really care that the next person in line doesn't agree with us on governmental policies? Of course not. They're too busy making sure they picked up all the required items on the shopping list. Or, got the right condiments with their to go order. And, they don't mind at all that we're doing the same.
OUR Quality of Life -- Enhanced by People We'll Never Meet
... and, Have Viewpoints that May Be the Polar Opposite of Ours.
Take the "An Afternoon at the Winery" example above --
It's a nice day and a great opportunity to hang out with friends. Not just any friends. Friends that have common interests and share the same "values" as ours. We pick the "right" venue -- a place where the owner's view of the world aligns with ours, and we'll be surrounded by patrons who, generally, think like us, and our friends. We'll meet up at a winery a manageable 35-minute drive from our homes. We're seated in the "perfect" spot, and the wine and appetizers are ordered. Moments later, the wine arrives and is skillfully poured into our stemmed glasses. Things couldn't be better.
Or, could they?
The server, Linsey, meets all the right qualifications: bright, attentive, articulate -- all the outward appearances of someone we'd want to "invite" into our celebration of life. But, Linsey neglected to mention the details about the "others" involved in the wine-making process: the workers who prepared the ground for planting, dug the holes, planted the vines, watered them, pruned them, harvested them, processed the wine, filled the wine bottles, corked them, warehoused them, and those who transported the other required elements to the winery. Do "they" share the same "values" as ours? Machinery was also needed to prepare the soil for planting. So, how about the implement dealership that provided the machinery? We don't know anything about "them". Are they like "us"? The implement dealer buys goods from the manufacturer. Do those worker's core values align with ours? Chances are that some, if not all, of those individuals won't pass our "partisan loyalty test".
But, without the raw materials, there is no farming equipment. And, without equipment there is no implement dealership. And, without the Implement dealership there is no efficient wine production. And, without efficient wine production there is no wine. With no wine, there is no "perfect" afternoon for friends to gather together at the winery.
This "Line" Can be Extended Out ... Indefinitely.
We don't have to extend this line out very far to include utilities, wine bottle (and, wine glass) production, server and cook uniforms, vehicles needed for the daily commute, insurance companies, fuel, tires, sales people, marketing people, office workers, accountants, I.T. professionals, managers, etc., etc, etc.
The fact is that vast quantities of people we don't know, will never meet, and have ZERO in common with us make OUR quality of life possible.
It's probably a bit ambitious to send them all a "Thank You" note. But, cutting them a little slack, and a little respect as a human being who contributes to our comfort, safety, and success might just do the trick.