Pacific Northwest Adventures Part 2: Friends

It was probably around 11 pm or so when Bill and Mary had just dropped me off at PDX. I was getting caught up on my social media updates and was starting to work on my next blog when from the corner of my eye, I saw him.

Could it be...?

And then she followed along behind him with her red carry-on luggage. Yup, it was them. The same couple that had travelled the same itinerary as I did only eleven days ago and found ourselves stranded in the MSP airport for seven hours.

We got to talking when she asked if I taught. It's not the first time I've been asked that question by a random stranger, so apparently I look/dress like I'm in the education field. Or something. Anyhow, she found out I was moving to New Zealand soon, and that I lived in Anderson but I was originally born in Singapore. To which she responded with, "You know, you meet lots of people at the airport, some of them, like you, just have fascinating stories."

I guess I've officially joined the ranks of the "cool airport gang." Or something.

But that brought me back to a conversation I had almost continually with Mary over the weekend that I was in Woodburn. She kept pointing out that I knew a lot of Church of God people, which... in all honesty, made me a little squirmy. It's not that I mind the association as much as... I don't like being one of those name-droppers. I don't like claiming to know people just to impress others that I'm well-connected.

I realised this during NAC week. I was doing a lot more networking than I was really comfortable with, because I hate acting like I know people when the truth is I've only had a 5-minute conversation with them, probably talking about something or someone we had in common, but not really about either of us.

And I think that's why more than anything else, I HATE networking and the whole fundraising thing because all that people want to hear is "the ministry." And the problem is I'm still having a hard time detaching myself from "the ministry" because what I do flows out of me, not out of an obligation to a to-do list.

But as I think about it some more, I'm not sure I mind having that problem. Because the truth is (at the risk of sounding arrogant and full-of-myself ), I don't see myself being separated from my "ministry." And the problem with networking is that I'm not really being myself if I have to take myself out of the equation to simply talk about the trivial things like the weather or the speaker of last evening's service.

Which is why, as much as it terrifies me to acknowledge this, I do know people. Which is why, while I was in Oregon, I did see a lot of people, but these were also people that taught me things.

So thank you.
...Thank you to Arthur and Judy, for helping me see that sometimes when two paths diverge, the one that is less traveled is really the one that walks the fine line to between holding on to and breaking apart from tradition.
...Thank you to the Shrout/Hodges families, for showing me how families work together to involve everyone, even the rowdy kids that could potentially make a wedding less than perfect.
...Thank you to the Marbles, for showing me that families can work efficiently together in times of crisis, and that hospitality sometimes goes beyond simply providing room and board.
...Thank you to Perry and Carla, for the friendships that happen almost immediately, and for such acceptance into the forever family.
...Thank you to Stephanie and Brett, for showing me that friendships do have the ability to transcend time and space, and that whenever we see each other again, the friendships will still be there.
...Thank you to Bill and Mary, for giving me space time and time again, even if it's once every two years or so, and for asking and noticing things that I thought were trivial.
...Thank you to Randee, for long conversations, for time for friendships to be rekindled, and especially for reminding me that Christ never intended for the Gospel to be safe.
...Thank you to Sean, for friendships that don't ask too many complicated questions, and for always being available and wanting to simply hang out.

These are the people I know in the Pacific Northwest. And yes, I do know them.