Who invited you, anyway?!

Recently I was at the local Starbucks, studying and writing, when the stranger made himself comfortable.

And known.

Almost from the moment he sat down in the faux leather chair just a small table width away from mine, he started talking.

It was obvious the guy liked to talk, so he did. He talked, paused, then talked some more. Then he paused again, only to catch his breath before launching into more conversation. He finally finished his coffee and talked a little more before leaving, seemingly content that I had entertained listening to his talking.

The man seemed to be one of those people who doesn’t understand not interacting with someone when someone else is around.

You’ve probably met others like him.

Maybe they were co-workers who talk incessantly when you’re trying to get your work done, a person trying to talk in class when the teacher is trying to do the same, or the person sitting next to you on a long flight.

There are some people who just have to interact when they are around others!

But there are a whole lot of people just the opposite: those who remain islands to themselves no matter how many people are around them.

These people live lives with a single focus: self. They have things to do, places to go, and select people to see, and everyone else is background scenery and noise. Others make lines longer, traffic slower, and generally impede your personal progress. They’re tolerated when necessary, avoided when possible.

After all, it wasn’t your choice for them to be in your life.

But, perhaps, it was God’s.

Scotty