I had two separate experiences recently with a similar result. In both cases I happened to be at a coffee shop – guess which one – reading a book and doing some writing. In each instance my attention was drawn to the animated conversation of other patrons. The first involved a woman apparently training a young woman in the sale of cosmetics. You would have thought, from the woman’s demeanor, animation and excitement, that she really believed these cosmetics could somehow literally transform the world. The other involved a couple of men speaking with such precision and seriousness about baseball and players and statistics and strategies you would have thought that they were coaches in the American League. Theirs, too, was an equally passionate discussion.
My initial response to each of these was some fascination and a little touch of humor. But the curiosity quickly turned itself around and pointed itself in another and unexpected direction. I became quite curious about how often – or not – we have such spirited and passionate conversations with someone about other kinds of things like beauty or love or any one of those other things we say in moments of thoughtfulness are so very important to us? Then I wonder what it might be like if we did…
Lord, perhaps today?
