I have always had the desire to put words on paper (okay, the screen). Blame it on busyness, schedules or — okay — procrastination, sometimes the assignment shifts off schedule. Today’s post is a few hours later than usual because of Internet connectivity {honest!}. Yet I continue to participate — be it Friday morning, evening, Saturday or beyond — because I believe in it and the community.

I don’t have to tell you the drill — I’ve done that many times over. I’ll link in the Community section at Kate’s place on Facebook at fiveminutefriday.com and scan through the incredible work of my fellow writers. I hope to see some of you there.

As I’ve been doing, here’s Michelle’s take on the value of the exercise, taken from snippets found in Five Minute Friday: A Collection of Stories Written in Five Minutes Flat, compiled by Susan Shipe, as an added inducement to join us.

“Being an introvert, finding FMF has been such a blessing. People who meet me will tell you I am friendly. They find it had to believe I am an introvert because I am friendly. I’m more friendly now than I was before I met Jesus. I still prefer solitude to group activities. I still prefer to hike alone, but I’m not averse to hiking with others. Solitude is just my preference. On that note, I still have a lot to say. It’s a conundrum. Or it was a conundrum before the Internet, before blogging. When I found FMF I fund a community that is a perfect fit for me. I can have interaction with like-minded women and men AND solitude at the same time. I’m super thankful for FMF and all that it has brought to my world.”

Michelle is so right. FMF is way more than just writing. It’s extending ourselves, our family and our outreach.

So, it’s time to set the timer for five minutes, settle down and ponder on the prompt, PEOPLE. GO …

People
People who need people
Are the luckiest people in the world …

So goes the song composed by Jule Styne with lyrics by Bob Merrill for the 1964 Broadway musical Funny Girl starring and sung by Barbra Streisand. It became quite a standard.

I think if we learned anything from the events of the past few months, it is people need people. Even those of us who profess to be introverted, need that interaction with other people. I often say I am quite content living in a cave or would do just fine on a deserted island, but the truth is, I thrive on interaction with other people.

There are times I want to be alone … in my cave … on my island … shut off from the world. But, being honest,  my happiest times were interacting with my wife because I knew she was listening, often to the ramblings of a confused old man/boy who didn’t want to grow up. I’m not sure it was always reciprocated. I truly miss that connection.

It’s comforting to know we can communicate with other people, be it on a daily or weekly or occasional basis. We were wired to be connected. I am enriched by a simple hello or what’s up or meme or quote or cartoon from family  and friends, close and extended.

We need each other. We need each other to plod together along this journey we call life. We need each other to lift us up, steady our direction, tone our vision, even hurt us as a way of strengthening us.

Yes, people, people who … STOP

… need people ARE the luckiest people in the world.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Your best teacher is your last mistake.