This week, we moved out of our home in Coconut Grove (fortunately, we bought in an extremely rent-friendly neighborhood, which is always a smart move when you buy, but that’s a story for another day…).
Anyway, one of the guys that worked for the moving company that was helping us with the move was a really good guy. He was a very positive person and you could tell that he was committed to living a good life and teaching his family how to live a good life. Though a bit physically imposing, since he was a mountain of a man (he told me at one point that he used to play basketball competitively, while growing up in Brooklyn, NY) his attitude and energy quickly made me and your mother feel comfortable around him.
He was a converted Muslim, and had an unusual name that he said meant “David.”
Anyway, we had some interesting conversations about how to live and what’s important in life. It was also clear that he was delighted to know that I had a son (he mentioned that he had some little ones as well). Even though he is clearly devoutly religious (I saw him kneeling in prayer at one point) and I am not, something inside me told me that he was someone worth staying in contact with and possibly becoming a friend with, regardless of our psychological/spiritual differences.
But I let the downer in me surface, convincing me that it would be “weird” to ask for his contact info. And as a result, I missed out on a potential opportunity to meet someone that could have provided me with stimulating conversation and a very different point of view on life; both of these being things that we should all strive for. Never mind the fact that he was just a good person.
I’d like to believe that the next time around, when presented with an opportunity like this, I will not let the downer in me manifest. I will also try my best to raise you in a manner that doesn’t allow this downer trait surface at all.
Don’t be afraid to be good and to expand your horizons by meeting and getting to know good people with diverse backgrounds and points of view.
Love you little man.