RE-CONNECTED TO THE SHIP

“The most important things in life are the CONNECTIONS you make with others.” Tom Ford

The holidays have always been about the old and the new and this Christmas, Christmas 2020 was undoubtedly NEW.  This Christmas our family CONNECTED electronically, like MOST Coronavirus-fearing families, via – Zoom, Skype, Facebook, text messages, and phone calls.   During our Zoom call, we laughed about the good times shared, reflected on family losses, and PRAISED GOD for life, each other, and our family CONNECTION. This NEW Christmas confirmed that the OLD Christmas is and has always been about CONNECTIONS. It’s a time when we reminisce about past CONNECTIONS–friendSHIPS and relationSHIPS– and we wonder where they are and whatever happened to them. You know those SHIPS that have made a positive impact in our lives, but because of life’s circumstances, they navigated different courses and begin to sail separately? Has that happened to you? Has life’s ebbs and flows caused you to DIS-CONNECT from some of your SHIPS? YES!!! Do you have SHIPS that you would like to RE-CONNECT with? I DO!! So for this week’s blog, let’s talk SHIP about the importance of being RE-CONNECTED TO THE SHIP!!!!

The busyness and the hustle and bustle of life alone makes it difficult to always remain CONNECTED to all of the SHIPS that sail through our lives. But we NEED these CONNECTIONS in our lives. They are good for us, both physically and mentally. Especially with the isolation of this Coronavirus, we need positive interactions and CONNECTIONS. As humans, we are built to have supportive and encouraging CONNECTIONS with others. In reality, all of the SHIPS that we’ve either sailed on or were the captain of – first started with a CONNECTION. As I pondered the CONNECTIONS that I’d made throughout the years, I realized that I had a few SHIPS that had become DIS-CONNECTED. I fondly recall being a passenger and having positive sailing experiences on two SHIPS-one old and one new but they both were DIS-CONNECTED. The good news is that I can RE-CONNECT with these SHIPS, if I was willing to take action. And I did. I gladly took the necessary action to start the RE-CONNECTION process because I had to be RE-CONNECTED TO THESE SHIP!!

I began by reaching out to the old friendSHIP first. He is one of my dearest college friend who I hadn’t spoken with in almost 2 years. Within 30 minutes of beginning the search, he and I had made contact and were RE-CONNECTED. We reminisced about our college experiences-going to lunches, our deep conversations, him pushing me to jog and me hating it. We fondly reflected on the care-free lives we had back then. We talked abut our innocence and how naive we once were. He and I met when I was 17 years old. He was (and still is) the best friend of a dude I briefly dated in college. Although I remain DIS-CONNECTED from him, the relationSHIP with our mutual friend has thrived and sustained itself through the years. As we caught up on each other lives, we picked up right where we left off. Before our conversation ended, I thanked him for the invaluable contributions that he has made in my life and for the tidbits of wisdom that he so freely gave me over the years. I needed him to know that I considered him a true friend who has always been there- supporting, encouraging, and platonically loving me. I am elated that I was able to get RE-CONNECTED TO HIS SHIP!!!

That same week, I reached out to the new SHIP, a former co-worker that I’d lost touch with. She was a parent who sat on the 2nd interview panel for a job that I was interviewing for. After the interview, she walked me to the exit and remarked how well I did on the interview, and how she felt that I would be an asset to the company, and that she was going to push for me to get the position. When we reached the exit, I smiled and thanked her and I recalled thinking, this parent is NOT going to have that much influence on who gets this position. A few days later, I received a call with a job offer and I accepted. A few weeks later, when I started the job, I encountered the parent who sat on the interview panel in the hall. I thanked her again but noticed her badge said, Director. She was actually my bosses boss. A few weeks later, we were alone in the break room and I asked why during the interview, she had introduced herself as being a parent and not the director. She smiled and said that she is a parent and that is the role she interviewed me as. We laughed and she reiterated her thoughts on how I was a good fit for the agency and how she was happy that I accepted the position. She left her position unexpectedly and I was devastated. I hadn’t had a chance to tell he how much I appreciated her tutelage and support and knew that I needed to find a way to RE-CONNECT. So, I reached out and after Googling her name, I found her and we were able to catch up. I am so happy that I am RE-CONNECTED TO HER SHIP!!!

Even though it may appear as if technology seems to keep us CONNECTED it actually doesn’t. Because it’s those same screens that DISCONNECT us from ourselves, from others, and from exploring nature. Truth be told, we are actually living in a time of DIS-CONNECTION and we need to start RE-CONNECTING TO THE SHIPS that are important to us. Life gifts us all an abundance of SHIPS for us to sail on and if we’ve had positive sailing experiences on these SHIPS, then we should make every effort to stay CONNECTED and if we’ve lost our CONNECTION, we should take the action needed to RE-CONNECT. It is because of the positive sailing experience I had as a passenger aboard those SHIPS , I felt the need to RE-CONNECT with them. I NEED them in my life and had to become RE-CONNECTED TO THEIR SHIPS!!

SHIP TALK: Do you have SHIPS that you need to RE-CONNECT with?

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