From Maine to Ohio to Texas

And so I spent the past weekend with my dear friends the Batchelder from Ohio. The story of my friendship with them is a twisted one. It was born out of convenience and morphed by external events. To make a complicated story quite short, I was a 4th year optometry student embarking on one of my externship. This particular one was in Maine at a Naval Air Station, where Adam happen to be serving his enlistment at the time. In fact he was working in the optometry department. And so it was here that I first met Adam, and eventually Kristy (his wife), Molly (their little baby girl), and Chad (his brother). I was suppose to work and live on the naval base that quarter. And so the acquaintance began.

Being in Maine was my chance to see and explore a state I've never been to. In fact I rarely had traveled anywhere along the east coast. I was ecstatic about the opportunity, and then the cosmic hand of fate stepped in, 9/11. And in a short week I found myself removed from the Naval Station due to the heighten security and my status as a "non-essential civilian". And so after 3 weeks in Maine, I no longer had a place to work and my living situation wasn't much rosier. Did I mention I still had about 7 weeks to finish out the quarter? Well my predicament was not looking good.

And then some extraordinary things happened. I was able to find an optometry office that would take me in and be able to meet the school's requirements for an externship site. This was a small miracle for me. Then there was the question about my living arrangement, since the base was no longer a viable option. And so Adam & his family stepped in and offered me a room in their home to finish out my quarter. Now after 3 weeks of talking with him at the base I wouldn't say I knew the guy that well much less his family life, and I sure know they didn't have a clue about me. But they offered a helping hand.

Of course I said yes, but not without reservation. I mean I was stepping into a situation that was totally foreign to me. Having to live with another family in thier home. . . ummm never done that. Being around a baby was not something I did much either while in college. Did I mention they are Mormon? My experiences up to that point with members of their faith wasn't flattering. My ignorance on their practices and beliefs didn't make my acceptance easier, and my friends whom I talked to sure didn't help the matter. But despite these reservations, this was the beginning of our friendship.

With many more details and ever convoluted twists through Maine, Ohio, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Texas we have arrive to this point. I've spent countless amount of time with the Batchelder family despite the actual distance between where we live. We have traveled together to Maine, Chicago, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas. I have done stuff I've never done before. Eaten and drank stuff I would not have normally done. And along the way I have grown to cherish my friendship with Adam, Kristy, Miss Molly, and little Neleha more and more.

All my other friendships were formed in an environment of camaraderie that was of our making. From the neighborhood we lived in to the schools we attended, these were situations we had put ourselves into. We were classmates, neighbors, or just someone else's friend. The tragedy of 9/11 put me in a predicament I would have never imagined, and forged a friendship I wasn't looking for.

We journey through life and meet so many people. Some are interesting, some a simple joy to know. Some are more profound and insightful than others. And some are quite memorable for either all the right reasons or for all the wrong ones. Others we just pass on by without giving much of a thought. A story not told.

For every person who has a chance to stay in our lives for any period of time, we take a glimpse of them and carry it with us, great or small. They are part of the building blocks that shapes us into the person we are. Whether it is a simple idea, an attitude, or the seed of knowledge to come. And then there are some who have the most profound effect of all. They allow us to learn more about ourselves. To see that we have more to give, to see that we can care about others outside of ourselves, and to see that we have more to appreciate in life. Good people can teach you more about the world. Your good friends can teach you more about yourself. And your life is never the same for it.