Day 2-76 -- Pulling Together

The past two days I've encountered an interesting phenomenon as I've walked through town and around campus. People I've never met strike up conversations. These begin and end with the weather. The stresses of repeated storms with large amounts of snow left behind seems to bring people together -- a common point of commiseration. So, even in the sunshine today -- the calm before the next storm -- people talk about it all in a pleasant way. There aren't major complaints or anger present, just a resignation and will to make the best of a bad situation -- together.

I find it interesting how people pull together during times of distress. It can show the best of humanity, yet when things begin to feel comfortable again we go back to our old isolated ways. But for those brief moments people look around them to speak to and help others. For some reason adversity seems to make us see outside of ourselves at what is really happening. We share the pain and move forward. Just like the random conversations I've encountered this week -- we experience a moment of togetherness in the midst of something that can be quite isolating. Those small moments have helped me to get through the less than pleasant aspects of trying to dig out from one storm before the next arrives.

A wonderful song from years ago ran through my head today. The lyrics speak to the need to work in concert and to avoid becoming separated from each other. Many covers have been done for this one, but the string arrangement of this early version still resonates most with me. Enjoy!

Get Together -- The Youngbloods