When You're Open to the Moments

February 2, 2015

I was wandering through Barnes and Noble one evening last week, like I do often. I turned the corner for the aisle I wanted, and stopped just before this gentleman. He was browsing through the Westerns, a stack of four paperbacks loaded onto his arms. I started scanning through the books on writing and literature, looking for Anne Lamott but not having any luck. I read the back covers of several other books that caught my eye, all the while aware that this man next to me was doing the same just inches away from me.

He broke the silence after a few minutes by saying he could never remember which of ones he had read before. We laughed about how the covers of books change, and when they go from hardback to paperback they totally change the style, so it's impossible to keep track. He joked that he should really start keeping a list of all the books he's read, and I told him that's exactly what I do.

He told me Louis L'Amour was his favorite author, and showed me the shelf full of all his books. He told me the plots of several of his favorite ones, in great detail, saying "just in case you're ever interested in this sort of thing." I listened intently, even though Westerns aren't really my style. I laughed with him. I told him some of my favorite books. I helped him decide which one he was actually going to purchase. And then he went on his way, and I went on mine.

That twenty minute conversation stuck with me though. I shared the photo on Instagram and several of my friends commented with how much they loved it, and I realized something.

We love hearing about moments and experiences and encounters like this because they seem to be rare in today's hurried world. Nothing was exceptional about what happened that night or about anything I did. I was just open to the moment. I wasn't glued to my phone. I wasn't in a rush. I wasn't stuck in my own little world. 

Because of that, I was open to chatting with a man I had nothing in common with but a love of books. I was open to hearing him out even though what he was telling me wasn't necessarily relevant to me. I was open to engaging in conversation with him even though I typically prefer to just keep to myself. My openness led to a sweet, meaningful experience and a conversation I won't quickly forget.

I don't want moments like that to be rare in my life. I don't want to always be so focused and moving so fast that I miss the opportunity to just engage in the world around me and connect with other humans.

At Trader Joe's this week, instead of scrolling through Twitter while I waited for my groceries to be bagged, I chatted with the guy in front of me. We had a great little talk about how neither of us cared about the SuperBowl but would be watching it anyway.

At the preschool where the boys I nanny go, I laughed with a nearby mom about how the snow started falling out of nowhere in the weirdest little blobs instead of checking my email or making a phone call.

I've opened myself up to the moments I could have so easily missed or passed by, and little by little, they're changing me. I've realized I've probably missed million of these moments in my lifetime, and I want to change that. I want to be aware. I want to be open. I want to take the time to engage and connect and be present where I am instead of being distracted.

I encourage you to be open to the moments this week, and see how meaningful they really can be.