Do I connect to someone.

Let me start with a simple scenario.
Suppose you are on flight from Paris to Bangalore via Mumbai and happen to meet someone from Bangalore but you have never met before. You first intorduce yourself and then start your conversation but not on a open box mode but on a closed lower tempo. Then say you feel that there is something common in you and that individual and you can strike chords at similar notes then the friendship/companionship grows.Then you start exchanging mails and calls and often you dont hestitate to talk personal.The stories you exchange varies from the good to the the bad, from your hopes and dreams to your failures and shortcomings.Slowly this relationship goes to a new level and the box which was opening with a bit of constraint is now free without a lid.

Each one of us has a story in us and it is interesting. You have a story and your friend has a story. The question is - have you both exchanged your stories at the deepest level?I finished my engineering degree in mechanical sciences in 2002. Today, as you would expect my classmates in engineering are in various parts of the world doing very interesting jobs and few studying in areas I always wished to. When I travel onsite out of India for business assignemnts (courtesy of course, the firm I work for), it is not difficult to find many of my classmates in any of the cities. I have one of my classmate who comes to Mumbai airport everytime even if it is late night and waits till I board my flight. Sometime when I was in Scotland, I had my weekends chilled out as one of my friends used to come on the weekends and we used to go out to places. I feel it’s nice to have someone to whom you can just say just anything and everything and that too at a frequency that matches both. One of my classmates took the initiative to setup a mailing list so that we can all keep in touch. A few years passed by and the mailing list was active and going well. Once, we decided to do an experiment to share "our story so far." to the group. About half the group shared their stories in great detail - their journey from the day they left the college - their successes, their failures, about their family and their new friends (crushes/failures/new found love) and hobbies (someone I connect to very closely now owns snakes as his pet) and so on. It was a phenomenal experience to read every single story that was posted.Thanks internet for making us remainconnected....... I was able to connect with my classmates in ways that I could not imagine after reading their stories, few even went on the extent of talking about the days when I was sharing the same last bench when we were in primary school. There was an instance when someone who across the ocean even tells me what she is making for dinner and runs me through the entire preparation cycle of her dinner over phone. It’s just thrilling and yummy to listen that...

In the normal life it simply adds more proteins to your life (am thin need more of these) and takes you that extra mile .Its gives a feeling of fascination and new level of respect for each other, which I feel I have never experienced during my short tenure of 3 years in Bangalore. It's an experience worth experiencing, any day better than the people you meet in your office floor, in your professional life and stuff.What I meant was even in our normal simple lives, these stories are powerful. Your story is powerful, so is someone's else. Since you are the most important person in your life(don’t take me wrong,this is after caring for others), it is worth recording your story. Keep "Your story so far.." up to date and ready to be exchanged with your friends to take your relationship to the next level.So remainconnected !!!!!

More to come...