Dances with Goats (Wolves not available)

I love this pic of my youngest grandson trying to form a relationship with one rather unresponsive goat. (If the little guy can just establish eye contact, these two are gonna be friends for life!)

It occurs to me that if we approached all of the people at work, church, school, and in the community at large with similar enthusiasm and interest, we would never be lonely or feel like we didn't "belong" again. Eventually, we would catch their eyes and gain their attention. Especially if the expression on our faces was as interested and inviting as this little friend-finder's.

How many of us walk into a new situation and expect others to do the connecting? And then, when they don't take the initiative, brand them as unfriendly (or worse, jerks), and give up?

I'm going to take a lesson from this open, actively engaging toddler and go the extra mile in making those connections out there. Why not? We could all use a little more face time.

Especially when the face is such an appealing one.

=)

PS. Of course, a less gracious and inherently uplifting woman than myself (heehee), might have responded to this photograph differently. She could have been piqued by this animal's indifference to her grandson's endearing overtures and penned a peevish poem, for instance...

Don't send a welcome wagon, and

don't feel you have to dote.

But don't ignore me, either, 'cause

that gets my grandma's goat!

Naturally, I rise above such petty concerns and reactions. (Though I must note, for the record, that this particular goat does exhibit an appalling lack of social acumen.)

And even less taste. ;)