Listening To The Voices / Friday, September 16

I was headed to Hobby Lobby (holla fo da HoLo!), and kept hearing, "go to Walmart."

Me:  Hey, Intuition, I'm drivin' here. I know where I'm going and what I'm going to get there. Shush now!

Intuition:  Go to Walmart. 

Me:  I can't hear yoooouuuu .... (turned up the radio) ... I want to go to HoLo!

Intuition:  Go to Walmart.

Me:  (at the top of my lungs and with great gusto)   I ... wanna rock and roll all night ... and party every day

Intuition: Go to Walmart. 

Me: I'm not going to find what I want at Walmart! I'm intuitive! I KNOW these things!

Intuition:  Go to Walmart. 

(random red car blocks my attempted merge into the proper HoLo-bound lane, forcing me to stay closer to the Walmart turn lane)

Me:  FINE! I'll go to Walmart!

(swung on in to the World of Wally parking lot)

I made a bee-line for where I assumed what I was looking for would be housed. Turning a corner, I locked eyes with a woman I adore but hadn't seen in (dare I say it?) at least a half a year.

A ginormical smile erupted on my face.

NADINE!

We flew to one another, embracing in a heart-to-heart hug. 

(Soapbox: Heart-to-heart is the only way we SHOULD hug. The purpose of a hug is to allow the other person to feel your heart. Not to push your heart on them. Not to get all up in their bidness and feel out what they have going on. To allow the other person to feel your heart. Capice? Excellent. Thank you for your attention. Now go hug someone you've been giving the Heisman to, and feel the difference. The word according to Laura. You may be seated.) 

We caught up as much as we could in the aisle-blocking time we had, and agreed to arrange a longer, more in-depth meeting in the very near future. 

And that's exactly what I did. 

I walked into one of my favorite coffee spots on a Saturday morning to find Nadine, as chill as ever, parked in a chair near the window, soaking up the sun like a cat. 

I love hanging out with her. 

She's so accepting, so thoughtful, and possesses so much insight, it's uncanny, really. 

Best of all? 

She closes her eyes when she really feels something. 

I like watching her connect with something on a deeper level, being present to the moment. 

I also like that when she laughs, she LAUGHS. 

Here's to you, Nadine. 

And listening to your intuition. 

And being present. 

And really, really laughing. 

And finding joy in Walmart, even if you aren't looking for it.