Perception is everything

Stuff happens every minute of every day and it is up to the person perceiving whether the results will be negative or positive. It only takes a little effort to push it either way.

I had an interesting experience last week while attending an early Thanksgiving dinner provided by our local senior center. While waiting to be served I noticed a well dressed older man looking around deciding where to sit. I wanted to meet him and I silently thought, "Sit at my table and he did."

As it turned out Michael was the new correspondent for a newspaper in a neighboring town. He was interviewing a few people to find out what they were most thankful for.  I felt fortunate to be the first person he talked to. My answer was that I was very thankful for having the opportunity to live a human life. He eventually interviewed the two other people sitting at my table. The food came and he chose to eat his meal with us. It gave me a chance to "interview" him and also put in a plug for my writing group, Write On People.

Michael is a very interesting, well traveled man who has written for seven newspapers throughout the country. He moved from Sedona, Arizona three months ago to accept a writing job that in his words was, "too good to pass up". I assumed he was at least semi-retired. I for one was very grateful to have met someone drifting in from somewhere else. I am finding more and more that, except for the natives, it is how most of us came to live in little old Grants, New Mexico. I know I got here accidentally over thirty years ago.

I found it interesting how different people perceived Michael's appearance at the center. A member of my own writing group said, "I left before he got to me because I didn't want to talk to him."

Yesterday the woman who sits at my table asked, "Who was that "weird" man taking pictures and asking us questions?"

I replied, "He wasn't weird he was very nice".

I tried to explain to her what his purpose for being there was. His article will be published on Thanksgiving Day and I am looking forward to checking it out.

As I said, perception is everything and it is all up to those perceiving.