Can‚Äôt we be friends?

Auriol Hays

The article was orginally published at: Can‚Äôt we be friends?

We can all be shallow and vain at time. I say and think stupid things all the time! It‚Äôs not easy to turn off that ‚ÄúI will judge you now‚Äù button in my head.¬† There are some people I connect with instantly while the rest tend to fade into the background. So imagine my surprise when I saw the extraordinary in someone I thought of as ordinary…someone I usually greet in passing….someone who sits quietly behind his pc and seems so unassuming .In one single moment, on a very ordinary Saturday evening, I got a glimpse of all those things that render him graceful….fascinating….ultimately someone worth knowing.

When my daughter was very small I learnt to appreciate the value of those small moments. I just knew that I should grab on to any morsel of happiness or peace that came my way. In between all the crying and tantrums ‚Äì those moments kept me sane. A great glass of port at night….the silence of a cathedral at 7am….and the peace that comes when falling asleep to an old vinyl record. But what I enjoyed most was that split second when I got to really know someone.

Over the years I have met people who I knew I could spend hours taking to; people who are captivating, alluring and filled with mystique. And let‚Äôs not forget the entirely mad ones also!¬† I have come across those people in the strangest places. Some have remained my friends while others were just passing through. Yes, I am selective about who I love – because more than anything I want my life to be filled with music and people who are worth getting to know and love.