Life Lessons from Sweet Pickles, Elevator Friends and Settling Into Moments

Tales from a woman over 50 on a spiritual journey across America.

Sitting in an over-sized blue chair, which fits me and the bay window perfectly, I peer out dreamily upon the corner of Mozart & Armitage as cars pass by on their way to somewhere magical, or boring, depending on its driver’s mindset.

The lyrics of an old song fill my mind from Phil Collins. Music is often like an old friend visiting, isn’t it? It actually felt like a Tears for Fear morn yet my app kept jumping to Mr. Collins as though God was saying, “Nah, listen to this today.” I don’t much argue with God these days, including opening myself up to new friends I met in an elevator by happenstance a month ago, in this strange land, which some of you may simply call Chicago.

We sat together squished into a little nook of his office, for what was to be one hour, which morphed into two and a half. Videos of his high school reunion are now posted to Youtube. A sorted affair of 91-year-olds in Argentina having a gab fest, while wine spilled regularly onto the wood table, which looks like it was salvaged from the stern of the Caligula.

My peripheral catches what it determines to be a slight grin as he stares at the screen…but his eyes, well they twinkled at me when I asked about the family photos on his wall, so I knew I was right where I was supposed to be.

He wanted me to help him with some technical computer questions which unfortunately most couldn’t be “fixed” however apparently I did a good job as he told his partner at dinner, “She understands me. Most never understand me but she does. Very patient through language, age and technical barriers. But she understands me entirely.”

My heart swelled a bit but I remained silent.

To his partner, “You understand me too. She understands me like you do. And her and I made eye contact and silently grinned at one another.”

Because isn’t that what connection is really about? Understanding.

We all express ourselves differently, as we are multi-dimensional and unique, so are far from black and white in how we show up in various moments.