After my trip to France, I felt renewed and reminded about the magic of the world. I often feel that I need to be "out there in the world," and not just like going to San Francisco but being in Africa, India, Argentina...out there, everywhere.
With this in mind when I was asked to attend the symphony on Friday, having just said the day before to myself that it was time to go to the symphony, I said yes.
Point Reyes is so dark and cold that the thought of driving to the city on a Friday night wasn't so pleasing once Friday came around, drinking wine by the fire with a good book sounded much more dreamy but I stayed true to my commitment of being "out there in the world," and put on my little black cocktail dress and headed down to Hayes Valley.
I had some time to kill before the performance so I went to have a cocktail at Barcino, a Catalan style restaurant in Hayes Valley that makes some great cocktails.
There's a part of me that feels nervous walking into a full bar alone and a part of me invigorated by being free and anonymous and walking into a situation in which you have no clue what will happen.
I find a spot at the end of the bar. I can either choose the stool next to two women who don't seem to be together or skip a stool and sit on the end. I choose the latter. The woman two stools down was quite chatty but I was happy to take a moment to myself.
Then a man comes in and takes the empty seat between us. I notice his wedding ring, his cocktail and I make up in my head that he is on a business trip. I mean, that's why he is solo on a Friday night, right? The talkative woman strikes up a conversation with him. She's had some drinks and I start to feel bad for him that he got the seat next to the tipsy one. But then she sees my ring, a huge amethyst chunk that I wear on the regular and says how she likes it.
"Oh, me? Thanks. You know, I pour wine for a living and people always see my hands and compliment my ring," I say.
"Oh! Where at?"
"Up in Point Reyes."
"What are you doing down here?"
"Going to the symphony."
At this, the man pipes up. "Oh, cool!"
She continues to ask me what kind of wine and at that point I tell her it's actually mead made like champagne. When he perks up.
"I knew I knew you from somewhere. This whole time I felt like I had to say something. My wife and I were up there and you helped us"
First connection.
Then he says, "I have seen you work and now tonight you will see me work."
"You're in the symphony!" I exclaimed.
I found out he played the trombone and at this point the tipsy lady was flabbergasted at the connection. To which I said, "Yeah, it's a great connection but to tell you the truth, I grew up in Evanston, IL and I can't tell you how many of these connections I have being from there."
Second connection.
"No way," he says, "I went to Northwestern."
"Of course you did!"
"Sorry."
Third connection.
"Did you go for music? Do you know David Young?"
David went to high school with me but went to Northwestern for music and is very good friends with my homie Ethan.
He knew David. Of course he did.
Fourth connection.
Fast forward to the symphony. Shane plays the trombone, so he picked the tickets right behind the trombone players. I was in the first row right behind him, so close I good reach out and touch my new friend.
At the end of the amazing performance, he looked up and we both just shook are heads. Really? What are the chances?
This. Is. My. Life. Connections. Why does it feel so magical? Why is it like an omen that you are on the right path? Why do I think I should be more in a sales and networking role? This is why I feel I need to be in the world. Out there, connecting. My life purpose could be health and alt. medicine, it could be science, it could be writing, it could be photography, technology, style, it could be natural wine, it could be hospitality but I think my life purpose is connections- connecting others, connecting ideas and concepts, connecting trends and styles, connecting personalities, connecting stories. I don't know if this has a job title, but this is what I love.