A Place of Belonging in Small Town USA

Meet Vic Martinson, all around ball of energy and the spark that got it all started!  As I sat and thought about the next Relationship Recipe Ingredient, I reflected back on yesterday...especially last night.  It was a cold and blustery day and I had a curriculum to write so I hunkered down and stayed in all day!  Late in the afternoon, I signed on to Facebook just to check out what was going on in that world and saw a post from the Bus Stop Music Cafe in Pitman, NJ, " since it was cold they had soups to warm you through and through. " What excited me about that?  The Hungarian mushroom soup - the split pea would have been a second!  I had been wanting that for my birthday party, but no luck, so why not go out and brave the weather for soup!!  Yes...and a favorite hot dog too!!  Am I digressing?  Of course not IF you can free associate and follow my chain of thought.  I immediately texted Ann Marie to see if she would be there.  A quick response, "Absolutely!!"  Off we went.  We walked in and it was warm and wonderful to be there...lots of people, music about to begin (it was open mike night) and well, just the right place for a cold Tuesday night.
So Martie/PhotoSchmoozer, get to the point.  What is the Ingredient connected here?? It is BELONGING.  I sometimes lament that I have lived in this town for more than 40 years and 'don't have friends'.  As I sat there last night, I had to reevaluate the word friend and the sense of belonging.  I commented to Bill that if someone wrote a play or maybe a short story about the Bus Stop, we would be 'regulars' there!  We do have friends and we do belong!  I searched my photo files to create a collage of the regulars - I won't name them now lest I leave some out.  You can be sure that next time I go back there, I will have the camera with me and I will bring home bunches of pictures of our friends.  Not next week though because it is full moon/winter solstice drumming at maryi's farm...and the opportunity to reflect on the friends there too.  Take the camera??  Of course!
So if I think about alll of this and you follow the Relationship Ingredients that I have been sharing, aside from belonging, which is important, we have already talked about communication, authenticity, laughter, patience and the biggie ACCEPTANCE.  I am learning to slow down and accept all of the people in my life for the unique individuals that they are and for the joy they can bring into my life...IF I allow them to!!  A heaert felt thanks to everyone who contributes to making each day special!!  Vic started the Bus Stop and the music...we all contribute to giving it life to continue!~!  YEAH US!!
PS - the next day was cold and blustery and different friends were waiting with warmth and more mushroom soup at the Bus Stop.  A perfect place for warm welcomes...again!!