I took a big step this week and met up in person for two coffee meetings. I say it was a big step because I hadn’t done this since the start of the pandemic. Not out of fear, I had simply got out of the habit. It’s much easier to meet over Zoom, not having to travel and park, and so this has become my new normal. Before the pandemic, I would meet in person for coffee at least weekly, often several times a week.
New Habits
So why am I writing about this? A couple of things come to mind. The first is how easily we slip into new habits without realizing it. The first changes with the pandemic brought major disruptions to my normal routine. I remember isolating and how that felt so different, driving us to create new routines. And then this shaping our normal behavior and expectations. I wonder how many other new habits I’ve picked up and what else I am missing from pre-pandemic days?
The other thing is the difference meeting someone in person. One person was a long time friend who I hadn’t seen in about a year. The other was a person in my online writing group who also happened to live in Portland. Both conversations were wonderful, the sort where you get fully engrossed. The conversation moving seamlessly between you, from topic to topic. One thought leading to the next one.
Missing Conversations
As I looked forward to each meeting, I wondered how they would turn out, especially with Giyen who I hadn’t met before. The easy flow of the conversation reminded me of something I learned when I left Intel. The importance of getting out and meeting people. When I started Oyster, I knew few people in Portland and that needed to change. I would meet with people having no idea what would come up and something always did. Usually sparking new ideas or least a deeper understanding. In my Intel days, I didn’t have time for idle conversations. I wonder what I was missing out on?
Looking forward, I realize it’s time to get back out there and make new connections. There have been too many missing conversations.
What are your missing conversations? Is it time you got back out there?