“Something I love to do when I encounter someone walking with their dog is to pick out something I sincerely like about their dog (their eyes, ears, a mustache, funny markings, a curly tail, just something that’s sweet about that particular dog) and tell the person.
“Been there, done that” with my husband’s chair walker! I CAN DO THIS!!! I stubbornly say to myself. Until someone seeing my plight will off assistance + I sigh w relief. People will be more than happy to assist if you only ask. Because of my short stature I often ask for assistance at the grocery store for items on the top shelf. People will immediately smile + are happy to do more if needed. Only need to ask!!
Yes, indeed. I have found that, too. If only there had been some neighbors walking by at that critical moment when I was struggling in my driveway! But, when I got to the hall, there were lots of people streaming in to see the event, so I could ask and get lots of help. (I'm short, too!)
P.S. I also loved being part of that Longfellow Days evening of poetry and music! It was joyful and rewarding. Thanks for sharing The Galaxy, a complicated piece of poetry and a complex song to sing. So satisfying!
I had to smile when you shared about talking about dogs with their owners when you walk. I do this also, and it often leads to fun conversations. And yes, I too generally know the names of the dogs in my neighborhood better than their owners. I talk to people in lines when shopping, waiting to check out. Sometimes I just have to say something to folks at the next table in a restaurant. There is something so rewarding when making a connection and you see the other person relax and smile. I also talk to birds when I walk, but that is another story!😜
Thanks for the reminder of continuing to connect with others.
Yes! to communicating with strangers, everywhere. Yes! to providing others with an opportunity to connect and even help each other.
And YES! for brilliant explanations and readings of challenging poetry.
Your “The Galaxy” presentation was brilliant, Sylvia. So you not only shared the poem, you created a community of listeners within Longfellow’s vision.
Oh, what a reminder this post is. So, what do you say? Wanna get a group together to share poetry now and then?
Sounds like a grand idea. The more we can get people together, the better off we are!
And thank you for your gracious comments on my explication of "The Galaxy." It wasn't the easiest poem in the world. I couldn't have done it without your or Tom's help!
Thanks for this, Sylvia! I am always touched by your writings here, and am enjoying getting to know you in a dimension beyond Sara's living room! I'm in the Boston area right now, recovering from my long-overdue hip replacement, but will be back in Maine a week from now, and would love to get together with you sometime soon if you're ever in the Rockland/Owls Head area.
Thank you Kathy! May you heal quickly and well. I will let you know if we are up that way -- would love to get together. We don't travel far these days. It's pretty hard for Steve to do so. But, you never know! We miss Sara and Dave a lot. VT is too far away!
Our FPC Stow pianist, Trevor, is so talented that even I with my tin ear can appreciate a Sunday service even more because of him and his music. So I asked Russ, “What must it feel like to have so much talent?” After a moment he said, “Joyful”. That’s what I thought about as I read through your notes from The Longfellow event.
“Been there, done that” with my husband’s chair walker! I CAN DO THIS!!! I stubbornly say to myself. Until someone seeing my plight will off assistance + I sigh w relief. People will be more than happy to assist if you only ask. Because of my short stature I often ask for assistance at the grocery store for items on the top shelf. People will immediately smile + are happy to do more if needed. Only need to ask!!
Yes, indeed. I have found that, too. If only there had been some neighbors walking by at that critical moment when I was struggling in my driveway! But, when I got to the hall, there were lots of people streaming in to see the event, so I could ask and get lots of help. (I'm short, too!)
P.S. I also loved being part of that Longfellow Days evening of poetry and music! It was joyful and rewarding. Thanks for sharing The Galaxy, a complicated piece of poetry and a complex song to sing. So satisfying!
That was a wicked hard piece to sing (and I wasn't even singing it)! So ethereal! Yes, it was a joyful evening.
I had to smile when you shared about talking about dogs with their owners when you walk. I do this also, and it often leads to fun conversations. And yes, I too generally know the names of the dogs in my neighborhood better than their owners. I talk to people in lines when shopping, waiting to check out. Sometimes I just have to say something to folks at the next table in a restaurant. There is something so rewarding when making a connection and you see the other person relax and smile. I also talk to birds when I walk, but that is another story!😜
Thanks for the reminder of continuing to connect with others.
I talk to birds, too! But, as you say, that is another story!
Thanks so much!
Yes! to communicating with strangers, everywhere. Yes! to providing others with an opportunity to connect and even help each other.
And YES! for brilliant explanations and readings of challenging poetry.
Your “The Galaxy” presentation was brilliant, Sylvia. So you not only shared the poem, you created a community of listeners within Longfellow’s vision.
Oh, what a reminder this post is. So, what do you say? Wanna get a group together to share poetry now and then?
Sounds like a grand idea. The more we can get people together, the better off we are!
And thank you for your gracious comments on my explication of "The Galaxy." It wasn't the easiest poem in the world. I couldn't have done it without your or Tom's help!
Thanks for this, Sylvia! I am always touched by your writings here, and am enjoying getting to know you in a dimension beyond Sara's living room! I'm in the Boston area right now, recovering from my long-overdue hip replacement, but will be back in Maine a week from now, and would love to get together with you sometime soon if you're ever in the Rockland/Owls Head area.
Thank you Kathy! May you heal quickly and well. I will let you know if we are up that way -- would love to get together. We don't travel far these days. It's pretty hard for Steve to do so. But, you never know! We miss Sara and Dave a lot. VT is too far away!
Our FPC Stow pianist, Trevor, is so talented that even I with my tin ear can appreciate a Sunday service even more because of him and his music. So I asked Russ, “What must it feel like to have so much talent?” After a moment he said, “Joyful”. That’s what I thought about as I read through your notes from The Longfellow event.
Oh, it was so very joyful, a real pulling together of community in such a wonderful way. I am so glad I was there!