When we are by ourselves, the conversation is one-sided and certainly biased unless there are mulitple personalities involved. We can justify anything and the talking back is held to a minimum. All opinions seem to make sense in this light and criticism abounds.
When you add another person to your own personal dynamic - everything changes. There is an outside force that may agree with you but be complete foreign. Sometimes you seem to be in sync with this foreign being and sometimes, there are clashes that make Fourth of July fireworks look like little sparklers.
Whether the relationship is romantic in nature or more of a parental-type of love, there is a give and take dimension that seperates us from the animals. Where friendship is the theme, sharing this life with care and concern is at the center of the relationship. There are times that the combination of two people is toxic. There is the opposite of Love At First Sight, more like Dislike At First Sight. Just as chemistry attracts people to each other, I think that same chemistry can repel two people for no apparent reason.
Snap judgements have proven me wrong about people and it has gone both ways. I remember thinking this one woman would be fABulous to know - I was wrong. It didn't take me very long to realize that we would never be friends. Interesting that some people look better from a distance that up close. I have had to eat crow a few times after meeting a person and realizing that I was completely wrong about them.
Whatever your experience with One-on-One is, it is the most fascinating relationship that we will ever experience. Whether staring into your baby's eyes for the first time or meeting someone at a party that in an instant feels like you have known forever, it is the everyday theme of our lives. I don't know who I will spend time with tomorrow but I know there will be a exchange with a another person. Whatever form it takes, I hope I walk away a better person for having had the experience. It really is the whole reason God put us here and I am anxious to
have another shot at it...
