A Small World After All

There is a ride at Disneyland that is truly a world of its own.  A Small World takes you on a little journey around the globe in probably about twenty minutes.  Little dolls dance and sing the same song, "It's a Small World After All",  while representing their various  cultures and countries.  A trip to Disneyland wouldn't be complete without it, even if you do get that song stuck in your head for the next two days.  But don't worry, you can always head over to Pirates of the Caribbean and get the Yo Ho Yo Hos stuck in your head if you are desperate for a mental station change.

But anyway, I was thinking that there is something so relevant about that concept promoted at the happiest place on earth;  ideals of commonality sung cheerfully in many languages about our small, small world.  I believe what they were trying to say, is that we are all kind of in it together on this planet.

Love, kindness and generosity may be different words in other countries, but the meanings are the same. It is a really beautiful thing if you think about it. But you don't have to take a ride or go very far for that matter, to realize just how small this world really is.

Part of what I enjoy about serving my time from behind a bar, is how often I meet perfectly wonderful and interesting strangers.  But to take it a step further, I am often surprised at how frequently I will find a common thread among us.

If you are paying attention or are at all curious about the person sitting next to you, scratch at the surface a little and I will bet that you might just realize: you went to high school together, or conducted business before, or perhaps know the same business contact.  Or maybe, you're both lawyers by day and musicians by night.  It's a very strange phenomenon that I encounter almost every time I go to work and start pouring drinks.  The possibilities for striking a common place are endless.

Just last night, for instance, I met someone who is on vacation up here in Traverse City, but lives in Murfreesboro, Tn.  In less than thirty seconds we had established a connection of who do you know and connected dots to the same people (my best friend's family) down south, some eight-hundred miles away.  Oh I've done business with them...  Real Estate right? Oh they are wonderful...

We laughed and gave a little knowing wink to one another; the kind you only give to someone who's in the in crowd.  And we couldn't believe we knew the same people; what a small world!

And before that, a gentleman sat at the bar and I felt like I knew him.  It was driving me crazy because I just couldn't figure it out.  I can't explain how or where, but his face and demeanor felt very familiar to me.  So, I poked around a little and discovered that he had just had a business meeting with my eldest brother earlier that day.

Although I am still unsure as to how I know him, I can probably trace it back to some business event he had collaborated with my brothers on in the past.  When he realized that he knew my family, we both shook our heads and laughed.  It is a small world indeed and is getting even smaller.  Because one person may connect you to another, and from another, possibly fifty more.

I just think it is so important to remember how easy it truly is to connect with people you might otherwise dismiss as strangers.  Not only will you have something fun to talk about over a beer or two, but who knows, you might just end up with a few new friends... all around the world.

***

*And just in case you are mentally suffering from singing a certain song from a small, small world... allow me to relieve you. "Yo ho Yo ho a Pirate's life for me, a hum a ne hum, a hum a ne hum, blah de blah la la, Yo Ho Yo Ho a pirate's life for me..."*


Today:

World Peace Cocktail (Thanks to DrinksMixer.com)

1 1/2 oz Bombay Sapphire Gin
1/2 oz Fresh squeezed lemon juice
Splash of Elderflower liqueur
2 drops Blue Curacao
2 drops Almond syrup

Shake and Strain into a martini glass.

For this and other recipes visit : World Peace Cocktail