“I, I’m thinking it’s a sign…”

The Postal Service’s take on Iron & Wine’s “Such Great Heights” has felt like an anthem in so many ways at different points in my life. The opening line is a witty approach to defining how two people relate to one another. Mirror Images, so that when positioned appropriately, there is perfect alignment.

I waiver on whether or not I still believe in such alignment. Truly, if I am an optimist about things, I would say that such perfect connections are rare. Other days, it is much easier to slip into realizing that they don’t exist but that we are able to make the best of our brokenness. And maybe that is what love really is all about. Finding our own limitations as well as how we learn to cope with that alongside our partners.

Relationships are a constant state of complex work, that posses their own versions of success. There is nuance and so many elements that are not always easily communicated nor displayed.

When I started my first full time position in non profit life, I was informed by a direct supervisor that every move that I made was subject to review and opinion by the community I was serving. Life was a fishbowl. I was expected to not only arrive, but participate in specific ways maybe not as a prerequisite of employment, but to assure that certain standards were upheld.

There were many reasons that the position ended up not being a great long term fit, though we made it work for a couple of years. However, one of the lessons that I learned in such an environment is that nothing is always how it appears. To apply the “Such Great Heights” chorus, “Everything looks perfect from far away.” Again, every relationship has it’s own definition of success.

This week’s location is Houston’s Heights Theatre on W. 19th Street. It is a midsize venue, hosting concerts and events (now socially distance considered) and may rank among my favorite locations to catch a show. I have been fortunate to see a few concerts, including The Suffers Record Release Show. Notably, at that show, by some miracle, I ended up in what I realistically have pieced together as the friends and family section. The experience was one that was unique and I felt very privileged to have been able to participate.

It’s in times like this, where venues have reopened that I specifically remember the genuine connections. The relationships that find those moments of clarity in communication. The times that remind us to be thankful, present and aware of the age we live in by truly living.

Outside of the fishbowl. Because “Come down now, they’ll say.”

Take care of one another.