Busy Being Interested

Ian finished up his University Village Sidewalk Sale duties, four days of sunshine and success. Roger and Stephanie are finishing up their trek to Canon Beach in honor of The Fortener's 50th wedding anniversary, not nearly enough FB pictures of Connor though. Ian and I are finishing up grand-dog sitting, because the Carrillo house is still under construction, Brandy has been here instead of Ian there. My grand-dogs are such well behaved house guests, both Tikki and Brandy are little angels. I will be heading South this evening to join Bo and Christian for dinner and a show.

...after I walk the dog, go by the library for a drop off and pick up, complete my final Dr appointment (dermatology), pay bills, write the blog, prepare for next week.

Book club was Wednesday and it was fantastic, and look what Kathleen found and shared. She always finds neat stuff but this is particularly pertinent to The Taylor clan due to our connection with the witch scare that flowed into Andover and our ancestors.

On this day we remember Bridget Bishop, the first woman executed for the crime of witchcraft in Salem, on 10 June 1692. The Salem witch panic began with fear and envy and ended with the torture and imprisonment of more than 150 women and men. Twenty were found guilty and executed. At least four more died in prison. This day is always a time to pause and reflect on how failures of empathy, compassion, and generosity lie at the root of so many evils in the world. We can make sure such a thing doesn't happen again by speaking up for those who cannot speak for themselves, refusing to stand by while others are made into monsters simply because they are different, and not turning away when we see an injustice being committed, no matter how small.

Here is my current mantra: Be interested:

As my boys grew and developed I listened to every word they said, whether 2 pm or 2 am, whether about school, friends, skateboards or girls, every dull, or otherwise, thought that rattled out of their mouths I was interested. It was some kind of backward communication. I didn't lecture or advise I merely listened.

Being interested builds a better relationship with family, work, community, friends, customers, colleagues, strangers, grandsons. All the good stuff in life.

Being interested in other's dinners, books, movies, travels, plans, opens the hallowed sacred doorway to depth and understanding. It is magic.

One friend's mother passed away. It was expected, but as we know the expectation and the experience are two quite different things. Another friend has a new grandbaby. Both life changing events. How can you not be interested?

Being interested is a choice -- like empathy, compassion, love, kindness. Being interested fosters empathy, compassion, love, kindness.

And don't we all need a little of that.