Lunch with Friends and a Book

Freeman, Darryl, Don, and I all pretty much retired from our jobs at the same time.  Since retirement we made an effort to get together for lunch on a monthly basis. Getting together with friends is a huge thing these days.  Much has been written about the importance of these kinds of connections for any number of reasons that relate to our overall enjoyment of life.  

I'm currently reading a book by David Brooks, "How to Get to Know Somebody".  The short answer is: make sure they are seen, heard, and understood. This may take some time and  effort to get connected and do a better job of communicating.

Speak less, listen more, I have opinions about way too many things and may fall short in listening and probably feel I should be heard more than listen to others but that is something I'm really working on and with some success.

E-mails, text messages, and zoom meetings don't work as well for me, and others may think they are sufficient, a red herring type of communication which has been substituted in person communication.

Doing things together does take some effort and it may seem to be a kind of ritual checking in.  Too often the alternative is checking out which may feed the need for speed but also makes.

I think I am going to start using the phrase, "until we meet again".  It might seem a little stilted but I really appreciate good conversations.

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