Flabbergasted

I feel sometimes that blogs are supposed to be about telling a story that's well formulated. But sometimes I need to write to figure something out, or just to acknowledge the impact on me. So pardon the unformulated text, and you can skip down to the haikus if you'd like.

I'm in awe. Flabbergasted. Dumbstruck.

Sometimes I meet someone, get to know someone, and I don't intend to have a impact or make a connection, but it happens anyway. It creeps up, and then BAM.

Earlier this week I was stressed, feeling like I didn't enjoy any part of my job, and grumpy. I had personal issues too which were stressing me out. I've established a friendship with the guy who holds open the door to the building. A wonderful man originally from the Dominican Republic, whose two sons have/had the condition featured in the movie Lorenzo's Oil (one has died), who always has a smile for everyone. He's been helping me re-learn how to speak spanish. And he's generally very 'zen' so when I had left my husband I would go down and visit often. I went down earlier this week and was grumbling about possibly needing a new job and leaving.

So, he applied for a job someplace else. Me: Blink. Blink. And the only reason I found out was because I was down there when the guy he's been speaking with went by and I heard what they were discussing. What do you say when someone looks at you and says that he doesn't want to be there if I'm not there? Amazing. Weird.

Thankfully I heard some of the context. The original owner of the building helped him immensely when he was dealing with his sons' condition. Incredible amounts. But he has retired, and management is not the same, and likely this guy has been thinking it's time to move on anyway. And I think he's being honest and not manipulative. Yes, it's a little freaky, but also kind of humbling.

The thing is, I had something similar happen to me 8-10 years ago. I worked in a building that required a security guard at the entrance to my office space (where there were multiple desks, not just mine... I hadn't been punished for something). And this guy, Ted, would sit and read his bible the whole time. So one time I commented that 'aren't you done yet?' and/or 'do you read the 'begats'?' and he said it was his 3rd or 4th time reading it, so we conversed. And so we talked a bit every day. And one day he comes in with this huge fruit basket for me! I was like, I hope you aren't expecting anything in return for this. And he wasn't. He was just being nice.

So there are nice people out there. And intense people out there. And life is fascinating sometimes. And I just keep my eyes open and radar up to make sure it doesn't go bad.