Engaging People

The young lady that stood in front of my table listened intently. The interest she had was amazing. She was totally engaged with what I was sharing with her. She was about 12 years old and her name is Amy.

As I reported yesterday the setting was Lang Pioneer Village and its “Christmas by Candlelight” celebration that took place on Saturday and Sunday evening. It was a busy place. Over 500 people attended on Saturday and almost that many on Sunday evening again. I talked a lot to say the least and met hundreds upon hundreds of new friends.

I point to my 10 minute meeting with Amy because the interest she demonstrated in my craft of Lace Making. She listened to everything very closely asking many questions that far passed most of the questions that adults asked. She wanted to know more. Her eyes sparkled as she talked to me. Remember she is only 12 years old.

Roz was another very interesting person. She was dressed in Bright Red… a Bright Red Hat sitting at a jaunty angle on her head, and a cape like coat that let her stand out in the room. Father Christmas’ cloak looked rather dull beside Roz’s coat.

Roz stepped up to the table and beamed as she looked at the Tatting and Bobbin Lace display. Her first question said it all. “Have you been to Honiton yet?” My answer was simple with a big grin, “Not yet but it is on our list of things to do!” “You just have to go! You of all people would love to see what they do!” she responded with delight.

Roz was amazing. She knew what lace making was all about. She had been to one of the heart areas of all Lace Making – Honiton in Britain. Honiton is the place that one form of Lace Making is named after. Its history dates back to the 1600s and at this time they continue the tradition. My original Lace Making Teacher was from the Honiton area and she was very good at what she did.

But Roz was not a Lace Maker – she was TV Producer, a flamboyant, and full of flare lady that sparkled. She had just retired from a very big job of producing TV programs for a large network… to a quieter life in the country. Within minutes she had found all out about me and what I did… she then knew more about Lace and me… in mere moments because of her questions. I could have talked to Roz for hours. Roz was maybe the best reporter and TV Producer I have ever met. You just wanted to tell her everything.

John was tall and stood there looking over his wife’s shoulder as she asked for a demonstration of Lace Making. He was mildly interested. As I spoke and shared the stories of the Tatting and Honiton Lace he moved closer, then took his “Tuke” off. When his wife moved to the next table he stayed to ask more questions. Maybe because another man was doing a non traditional craft such as Lace Making – or maybe because we just hit it off for some reason – John stayed and we talked for a long time.

John was a graduate from a top University in Canada with his Degree in Music. He has played many places and with many kinds of music being his forte. Today he is a highly trained technician that repairs, tunes, and knows every kind of orchestra/band instrument there is. His eyes lit up as he described a task that he just accomplished this past week when he completed work on a base clarinet. He described in detail the work that he was involved in.

His wife came by again listening to the latest thread that he and I were talking about. He had just described the millimeter size inside a saxophone and what happens when the dents on the outside change the sound chamber inside… and the joy that comes from making a form to repair the damaged unit. His wife looked at him in astonishment and said loudly with some chagrin… “What in the world has that got to do with Lace Making and this ancient village…???!” (I think she had heard the story before.) But John loved what he did and it showed… and as he found one person that might be interested in what he did in this 1865 Village – he shared the millimeters and the shapes and sizes of the forms… and his desire to soon open his own repair shop on the old farm that they now live on.

John was very cool. And at the end he told me how interesting Lace Making was – he had never thought about it before.

Then there was the Lawyer that stood carefully at the side asking penetrating questions. It was obvious I was being interviewed cautiously. He listened closely and watched my every move. His wife jostled him and stated that the lawyer was coming out again.

There was the doctor that said some very funny things and listened closely. One comment was about “now being able to do the sutures better when he performs the next operation”.

There was the man that has the teams of horses, the old farmer that has some wood to cut, the single mom that had three kids trailing her, the new mom that had five more kids somewhere on the Village grounds… and many, many more that came to listen and talk.

Did I ever tell you that I love engaging people? I also love Lace Making and Wood Carving and Quilting and Paper Cutting and Writing – but most of all I love people. And to be more specific – I love where I can engage and interact with people.

I come back to Amy again. She outshone the TV producer, the Judge, the TV personality, the Musicians, the Composer, and the Fireman. Amy looked at me just before she had to run to catch up with her mom and said, “Thank you so much. That was amazing!”

Some one said lately that they can’t trust anyone. I am saddened by that. I kind of know about the feelings that this person has stated – I have met some real jerks too. (But they are few and far apart – most of the time. I move on and leave them behind – they were behind when I met them and they will likely stay that way for the rest of their lives…)

Today at the Hospital I will meet some new people. I will engage them in new conversation. If they happen to be “jerks” I will muse at them. If they are neat people that want to share this moment between us… I will engage further.

Then I will be in a coffee shop, at a friend’s home, back in my garage and engaging people.

My final reflection – God has given me people as gifts. They are wrapped up with their life and sent specially to me. How about you? Met anyone new lately?

~ Murray Lincoln ~

Source:
Lace:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobbin_lace
Lang Pioneer Village http://www.langpioneervillage.ca/
http://www.langpioneervillage.ca/specialevents.php?page=specialevents