Today feels complicated. Close your eyes and think about 10 years ago. What do you see? Who bubbles up for you? Anything special that surfaces? Even 5 years ago seemed so much simpler. A cuppa frothy cappuccino from Small World in Princeton, sitting outside, taking in the morning air, whilst people bustled about. It won’t be long now before I see my friend Dana, drifting about Nassau Street. She was always deep in thought, contemplating the meaning and purpose of life. With dreamy tears in her eyes, she’d share this amazing inspiration of reflection and purpose she felt on her way to see me and disclose the theme of her next book. Always magical and creative. The human interaction of it all, so profound, yet simple. Am I getting older and reminiscing about how things used to be, or are things really drastically different? An afternoon of visiting with a friend, sipping a cup of coffee, and diving into a meaningful conversation sounds heavenly. Long gone are the days of spontaneous conversation with a complete stranger. Making new friends doesn’t feel natural, it feels synthetic and artificial. Is it me, or are we filling our lives with distraction, until we can enjoy the cuppa frothy cappuccino again with friends, or even a complete stranger? Today, talking in line at Panera requires an awkward, yet necessary 6 feet of social distance. More space, more technology, more synthetic material. Lecture halls, attending orchestra, museum tours, art, science, and natural chemistry. Give me those things. Tell me what bubbles up for you