This evening, we had dinner with our fourth-floor neighbors, Wes and Diane, for the first time. Dietary restrictions of "no salt" and "no meat" made for an interesting menu (we somehow managed with avocado toast, tomato and egg, and key lime pie for dessert). They're an entire generation and a half ahead of us (both in their late 60s), but we found plenty to talk about. It was a little bit like being on a first date--you kind of know each other, but not really, but you're interested in knowing more.
We admired pictures of grandkids. Wes amazed us with his magic effects (he is actually quite a famous magician and doesn't call them magic tricks; he calls them "magic effects"). I played some piano. They brought us some very sweet and thoughtful gifts for Junior. (Wes is all about Junior.) We shared thoughts and stories about everything from crack-cocaine sentencing, to legalization of heroin, to how going vegetarian saved Wes's life, to Diane's extremely active social life. Somehow conversation flowed from one topic to the next, and it was a lot of fun. I realized after Wes and Diane left that outside of our wide Asian Christian social circle and our smaller, highly-educated professional circle, we don't have very many (any?) friends. But the world is filled with wonderful, truly fascinating, and good people like Wes and Diane -- we just don't know them.
I'm glad that over the last couple years, between helping Diane haul her stuff up to the fourth floor and bumping into Wes on his cigarette breaks, we've gotten to know these two folks. I'm sad that we're just getting to really know them as we're about to leave.
But it's a lesson for the next go-round. Keep our eyes and hearts open. See beyond the usual. Make different kinds of friends. Spread the love.
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