21 minutes

In the movie “10 Items or Less,” Scarlet asks Him if there is anyone that he does not talk with. Him replies, “Why? I engage people. I’m a connector. Human interaction is the spice of life.” Him is played by Morgan Freeman and is an aging former Hollywood star that has not had a movie deal in four years. He is trying to decide if he will take a role in an independent film. For research, he visits a Latino community grocery store. While there, he meets the intriguing and out of place Scarlet. Without a ride home, he joins Scarlet as they make their way to an administrative job interview, and ultimately his home. Freeman misses no one. He notices the boy at the car wash, the employees at the car wash, the ladies in the clothing section at target, the woman behind the counter, etc. It is a magnificent portrayal of what it must have been like being around Jesus (minus some inappropriate comments, etc.) I long to see people. I want to miss no one. I want to live interactively. There are so many people just waiting to be noticed and hoping to be heard. We miss them, though. We have to get to our destination, and we are already 21 minutes behind schedule. If we were more attentive to the barista, we could have seen her eyeing her ring in wonder. If we were more attentive to our waiter, we could have asked him how school was going which would have offered him the opportunity to open up about a whole lot more. I recently had the opportunity to do a wedding for some people I had never met. The wedding was supposed to be at 1:30 PM. I spent much of the rest of the day with the couple and their family and friends. We played pool, listened to the jukebox and ate like we had known each other for years. The bride even located a swimsuit for my daughter so that she could join the rest of the children in the pool. People want to be known. People want to be cared for. People want to be appreciated. We need to push pause. We need to stop and see the eyes of those around us. We need to listen with more than just our ears. We need to truly engage people. After I left the wedding, I took my daughter bowling. I bowled my first game in years, and it wasn’t too shabby. I put up my ball and took off my shoes while Allie chose to play a second game. Why? Because I know myself. I would have paid more attention to my bowling prowess, or lack thereof in the second game. I wanted to be fully present to my daughter as she jumped to high five me after receiving her father’s encouragement. I wanted to look at her and drink every ounce of elixir from the moment. I wanted to remember that evening for the rest of my days…the green shirt, the black shorts, the laughter and the joy. As we finished, we went to the counter to settle our debt. Allie got a bit impatient as I talked to the attendant. When he had to answer the phone, I looked at Allie and said, “Wait just a minute, and don’t interrupt daddy. God has blessed us with the opportunity to be with Steve right now, and I will be finished in a minute.” May we never miss the ones we meet and may we journey with all of our fellow travelers. Forget the destination, and just enjoy the ride.