Conversation

Dean and I were sitting on the deck yesterday afternoon when our neighbor wandered over ~ literally. He was quietly on the deck before I saw him or Oso barked. We said Hi and gestured to a chair placed 6 to 8 ft from us and he sat down. He didn't want any thing, any advice. He just came to be there and talk.

And talk we did for almost two hours. Of course we started with COVID-19 but the conversation quickly moved on. He was reading for the first time an author we love and we enjoyed telling him more about the man's writings while listening to his excitement over discovering him. We talked ideas, some history, what the new normal is going to look like. We found out some things about our friend we didn't know.

It was delightful.

Part of what I realized again is the value of the conversation of ideas. These days when the pandemic and racism are so much with us, we can get caught up in them and our focus becomes narrow. Or else we talk about ordinary stuff like what we had for dinner. Please, do not misunderstand me. It is very important we have the conversations about the virus and especially about racism and facing white privilege and our distorted history. Very Important.

And once in a while it is nice to discuss other ideas, other histories, books we are reading, our hopes for the future. And it is nice to do face to face without a screen in front of us. Dean and I continue to wear our masks, wash our hands, and social distance and mainly stay at home. Yesterday's conversation felt so ordinary and so good. I'm grateful for our wandering neighbor.