pray.
This is another reflection inspired by the “What God is Not” Podcast. In one episode, Sr. Natalia and Fr. Michael were talking about the misconception that we need to “earn” God’s Love (spoiler: we do NOT need to earn God’s Love, because we could never deserve it but He gives it to us wholly and unreservedly anyway).
Related to that, they talked about the culture of utility that is prevalent in society. “What is your job? What have you accomplished thus far? What kinds of things can you put on your resume? What are your goals in life? How can you contribute to this world? How do you earn respect?”
Perhaps as a result and/or contributing factor to this, they noted that many people introduce their friends to other people by stating (1) their name and (2) their occupation. I think I typically do that, and I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing, since a full-time job takes up the majority of someone’s hours; if the person truly enjoys and believes in their job, then that could say a lot about their personality and values.
However, the dangers with introducing someone by stating their occupation are that (a) not everyone has a job; (b) some people don’t like their jobs; (c) some jobs may be seen as more or less impressive/helpful than others, thanks to societal norms. Thus, it may feed into this underlying assumption in people’s minds that the more you do or the “better” your job, the more you have to offer to the world.
But each human person inherently has wonderful things to offer to the world. Of course, we are responsible for harnessing and utilizing the gifts we have been given, but what comes of that (i.e., our occupation and successes) does not define us or make us any more worthy of love.
So how might I introduce my friends then? Again, I don’t think it’s necessarily bad to state someone’s occupation, but maybe I can think of other qualities and interests of a person to mention as I introduce him/her. Perhaps this can promote a culture of appreciation for ~the human person~ vs. a culture of “what-are-you-good-for?”.
I dunno. Just some thoughts, but what do you think about this topic?
eat.
I am a big proponent for real dessert and eating non-diet types of snacks, but sometimes I want a sweet snack that won’t knock me out for a nap in the middle of the day. The other day, I decided to eat a bowl of plain Cheerios with almond milk BUT THEN I mixed in half a scoop of this s’mores protein powder (I think my brother’s girlfriend gave it to me a while ago) in with the milk… and it was delicious.
If you don’t like protein powder, you obviously wouldn’t like this, but if you have a protein powder you like, you might enjoy this. All we have in the house is plain Cheerios, but the s’mores protein powder dissolves in the milk and gives it that beloved “cereal milk” vibe.
move.
Walking, stretching, and practicing titibasana (firefly pose).
groove.
When I was on a walk in the neighborhood last night, a sweet little girl (still in her chub chub toddler days *heart eyes*) yelled, “Hiiiii!” and waved to me as I walked by. That made me very happy and grateful.
So tell me:
How do you introduce your friends usually? How do you yourself like to be introduced?
What is a snack combo that you’ve been liking recently?
What is something that made you happy yesterday?
Daily Moves and Grooves 
This is a pretty good question – how to introduce friends. Long response – but this is something I’ve thought at length about, especially when I am in some mood to understand who I am in relation to the world and those in it. I love that you’re asking this!
My personal approach is to:
– Introduce them with how they are related to my life story. It’s highly likely I’m mixing people together who are either family, close friends, or otherwise qualify as “inner circle.”
– Introduce them as who they are in my life (best friend, co-worker, cousin) and then call out some commonality they may have with whoever I’m speaking with.
– Remember that we define our work; our work does not define us thus removing any pretense in an initial interaction.
I took this Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course and for the full 8 weeks, the instructor made sure we did not reveal or speak about what we do. It was really interesting because it took away any chance of assumption when we dove deep into a meditation practice and how mindfulness impacts our daily lives (lives which are often dominated by work/occupation.)
Along the lines of how every person has something to offer, the beauty of being a connector is sparking a thought about how that person can offer something to the group – which is likely the reason why you are making the introduction anyways!
On the flip side, I want to recognize that in the real world, you are not the connector and you just somehow hold the burden of creating a welcoming environment. In those situations, I just say how that person is related to me. 🙂
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Liz! I’ve heard of the MBSR course — definitely a smart tactic to keep it top secret. But I’m glad you seemed to enjoy it!
I like the way you introduce people! I think I probably do something similar in the end, because I naturally want to know how people know each other in the first place too. Your comment about being the connector is a good point. We don’t always have to make some big introduction for every person because the interactions ahead will likely do the job.
hmm. I never thought much of this before, but as an undergrad, it made me think of how I tend to introduce myself by my major/track. I’m pretty sure that I do the same for my friends, along with a short background of how we met. Also, thank you for sharing the podcast! I am not Catholic but I like how the hosts discuss this “Hustle Culture” through a faith-based lens.
I think I would like to be introduced as someone with a sacrificial heart. I’ve been reading 1 John and feeling *very* convicted lately…but in all the good ways 🙂 . 1 John 1:9 was a definite highlight of the day.
a food combo I’ve been loving? Peanut butter and dark chocolate; always. I stand basic and unashamed.
I love that you would like to be introduced as someone with a sacrificial heart! And thanks for sharing your highlight of the day ♥︎
ooooo peanut butter with so many things is a great combo.