The Brotherhood

There have been a few occasions over the last several years when I have felt an instant bond with a group of strangers who come from all different walks of life. These are complete strangers with huge variances in their demographics. Until yesterday, these occasions have been very serious. The two best examples that I can think of are:

• September 11th: I was in Santa Fe, New Mexico and since I couldn't get home, I spent some time in the town square during that week. The entire week, and for much longer, I felt a sense of community with so many people that I normally would not feel.
  
• Hurricanes: There is a really strong sense of community and bonding when you are preparing for a hurricane. Walking through a grocery store, pushing a cart past aisles of empty shelves of canned goods and bottled water, I can't help but feel close to the strangers who I make eye contact with or who I see passing in the street in their cars.
  

While these events cause disaster and catastrophe and their results can be truly horrific, I also look back on these times and choose to remember this sense of community. It is one piece of inspiring hope to pull from the wreckage.

Yesterday, I felt a similar feeling, but it was humorous and definitely not a sense of community related to any event with a context as deep as the two examples above. However, it brings a smile to my face and makes me laugh to remember it. I was in the line at the florist, with about 10 other men, all complete strangers who appeared to be from very different walks of life. Behind the counter were two women who must have wanted a nice stiff drink by the end of the day. As the 10 men stood in line, we chatted with each other about buying flowers, being in the dog house, and how we were going to get out of it. We ribbed the two women clerks that we needed the one special arrangement that they had...more special then the one they just sold to that guy..."I need it more than him!"...we groaned in unison when they sold the last of the mysterious special...one muttered expletives to himself when they announced that no more deliveries could be ordered. In the end, we all walked away with flowers of some sort, and those women walked away with our money.

I am obviously not equating the serious events listed above to Valentine's day. I am obviously not saying that the sense of community was identical. But I do think that the instant bonding that occurred in that florist line, as we all tried to get that special flower arrangement that would pull us out of the dog house, made me feel a part of a brotherhood. I think that those moments in life where you feel that instant connection with a stranger across miles of differences are moments to remember. Sometimes you may remember them with a sadness. This time, I remember it with a laugh.