I get to meet many wonderful, fascinating people when I travel for work. But sometimes I am blessed enough to catch up with old friends. And by old, in this case, I mean a friend from high school which was, ahem, quite a few years ago! When I found out I was going to be in Pittsburgh, I sent Kevin a message on Facebook, thinking he may be too busy to see me. It is always difficult to contact people from your past, not knowing for sure if they really want to see you. This has happened to me more than once recently. I have talked to old friends about getting together, they are gung ho about it and then, bam, they suddenly have plans or come down with a once-in-a-lifetime illness or their parent does or their cat does. Rejection, no matter what the emotional investment, is never enjoyable, at least not for this overly sensitive girl.
So I was pleasantly surprised when Kevin was enthusiastic about seeing me. We made plans to connect with each other as soon as I arrived. I told him I had never been to Pittsburgh and definitely wanted to eat at Primanti's, a restaurant I had seen featured on The Food Network. Kevin recently married Layne, who I had never met, and said that he would be bringing his husband along. I thought that was a fantastic idea although I am sometimes shy when someone I know brings someone along that I don't know. Nevertheless, I was not going to let this opportunity pass me by.
Today Kevin and Layne picked me up at my hotel and took me to downtown Pittsburgh which, unbeknownst to me, was just minutes away from where I was staying. I haven't made it out much, except for daily trips to Starbucks, because it has been cold, rainy and depressing. But today was gloriously sunny and delightful and it was so nice to get out and about, even though there was a small nip in the air. It was as if God was truly shining His light and His pleasure on us today.
Seeing Kevin again was truly awesome and meeting Layne was a pleasure as well. Talk about a cool couple! We took a walking tour of the city, ate lunch, walked to the ballpark (heaven for me!) and I learned a lot about Pittsburgh in a few sort hours. I managed to get some pretty nice pictures too! Even though Kevin has lived here for only a short time, he knows much about the people, the culture and the climate and shared much of it with me. How honored I was that these two precious men, one of whom does not know me from Adam, would take time out of their weekend to show me around and make me feel at home.
While we were eating lunch Kevin told me that I was a nice person. I think there was a time when I would have much rather heard a different compliment, but now I feel there is no greater compliment to be the recipient of. He said I was always nice in high school and that I fit in with whatever group there was; that I got along with everyone. Better than that, he paid me an even greater compliment: that I didn't judge people, that I accepted everyone. Oh, how I wish my 17 year old daughter, Alessandra, were there to witness THAT comment. She feels I am the most judgmental person on the planet so she would say I absolutely had to have changed since high school! I wanted to camp there on the compliment, but they kept coming.
He also told me that he appreciated my beauty, even though he's gay, and confirmed what many have said: that I had a legendary ass in high school! That made my day! I mean, it made me feel REALLY good.
I definitely believe that God brings each and every person into our lives for a reason. Today, there was a reason He brought these men into mine. It could have been for their benefit, mine, or both. I think I am the one who received the bigger blessing and I will take it, grabbing onto it with both hands. Life is fleeting and it is the little moments that make up a day, that then make up a week, that then make up a month, and so on, that we look back on and treasure. It may sound hokey, but it is true. When one least expects it, blessings come. In the middle of a big city where I had never been, on a sunny day, with a boy I knew over 30 years ago, this truth once again hit home with me. And I am so glad.
A Few Hours in Pittsburgh
