Have you ever stepped out of your comfort zone and discovered a place that felt like home?

One of my goals in 2018 is to have what I call ‘heart 2 heart’ conversations with strangers. A connection that brings us to what’s deep within our hearts.

I experienced this at Raising Our Voices – sharing Black Canadian Stories, an event for Black History Month.

I decided to attend the event on my own. I sought out my seat during the main reception. I don’t like small talk. I find it uncomfortable and decided to sit and wait for the event to start.

I believe a conversation starts with a smile, and that’s what happened with Adam.

We started off with small talk, discussing the event we were attending. Soon I was sharing my passion for teaching heritage in the school system. Adam shared his thoughts, which aligned to my thinking. We both shared the view that conversations were necessary to create understanding.

Adam had my full attention when he said, “it’s important to remain open.” He elaborated by sharing that when we stand passionately in our opinions sometimes we don’t hear the other person or provide a space of dialogue.

The wait time until the event started was an hour, the time flew by like it was a 15-minute wait. That’s when I realized I had experience my goal, a ‘heart 2 heart’ moment where 2 hearts for a moment in time connect by the beat of each person.

Thank you Adam for being present – not looking at a device while you waited which allowed us to start a conversation.

Jacqueline