Once a month, I meet up with my dear friend Holly to walk the Ringling Bridge. When we meet, our time spent together resembles a comic relief show featuring Wanda Sykes and Lucille Ball – we get real silly! Oh yeah, I am Wanda and Holly is Lucy! We use our walks to talk about our husbands, our children, our jobs, our likes, our dislikes, and any subject we can fit into our one hour together. Something unusual happened today! Just as I was making a comment about receiving a higher-than-normal water bill from the county, due to caring for my St. Augustine grass, a woman walked up behind the two of us. We moved to the right to give her enough room to pass us. However, instead of passing us, she started talking about how she recently purchased a home in Sarasota and wants to add some new grass to her lawn. Her grass comment turned into a forty-five-minute conversation about everything under the sun! The first few minutes into the conversation I was looking at Holly and wondering – who the heck is this lady just walking in and interrupting our Wanda and Lucy time? I thought the lady would leave after a few minutes, but she never did! Oddly, both Holly and I were drawn to the things the lady talked about and found her to be very interesting.
I don’t believe in chance encounters! I feel there was a divine reason our paths crossed today. I’m not sure why, however, Holly said something that really stuck with me. She commented - “You know that lady must have thought we were the most approachable people. It was kind of weird but then again it was a compliment! You know, she had a lot to say. It’s good to talk to people again post pandemic. Accepting people who just want to talk! Some have been alone for a time. She found us!”
