Ramblings of a Samurai and his Duct Tape

The community amazes me sometimes.

I've never been much of a joiner, preferring instead to go my own way and observe everyone else like they're fish in a tank. This can get lonely so I do make my forays into the tank myself, usually short jaunts where I keep my distance from most and spend my time around the little scuba guy that's always there before I retreat again into myself and behind the glass.





But here and there someone throws an encouraging smile my way, or suddenly I find someone is patting me on the back. And my day brightens up just that much more. I've gone off and jumped head first into groups, mostly just the ones I know there's a time limit on and then maybe I may never talk to those people again. Maybe we'll just wave as we pass, or maybe who knows what will happen.





And now I'm finding that not as many of those walls that I put up are there anymore. Some are turning to swiss cheese. A few are still strong and stout, but not so many as there used to be.





We all seek attention in some way. I'm finding that the attention I get through spaces where some of those walls used to be is pretty good. I'm reaching out more and more than I ever have, and I don't pull back quite so fast, if at all. And not so many of those random faces and/or names in the tank are complete strangers as they used to be.





I'm at a point where I think another wall just toppled. I think I'm going to stop and chat with a few of those names that have stopped to wave at me. I know I'm still going to walk my own, completely random and to most people an utterly absurd path. But it's my own path, and I can shape it how I want. I'm just going to make it intersect with other peoples paths a little more often.