When you pick a word like ‘Connection’ as a theme around which to write for a year, you find your head, heart, imagination foraging and embroiled in the most amazing places. For example, this morning I’m thinking about railways and train journeys!
Photo: Frank Tubridy
Right now, I’m sitting here in Tramore, Co. Waterford, Ireland on a stormy Sunday morning at 7.37 a.m. and I’m wondering what Connection conjures up for all you fellow bloggers around the world.
Would you be sweet and kind enough to tell me what flies into your head, heart, imagination when you see that common, yet complex, word:
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SOCIAL BRIDGE ~ Jean Tubridy connecting with you from Ireland 
It’s airport connections these days isn’t it? Bad weather = late arrival = missed connection. Or once sitting on the plane at Cork Airport waiting to fly to Heathrow there were several headcounts and announcements that we had one passenger too many. It was only when the announcement was repeated in French the chap next to me jumped up muttering ‘Merde!’ and scuttled off to find the Paris plane.
Early memories of chugging northwards on a train from New Street Station, Birmingham to emerge into the freezing night at Crewe waiting for the boat train to Fishguard. That is my total knowledge of Crewe.
Roy, airport connections are certainly BIG and I love your description of your seat-mate on the plane in Cork. Sounds like you should put Crewe on your list of places to visit! Just think of what you missed.
Common ground between us reaching
Out,covering ground emptiness breaching
Near or far it makes no difference
Efforts to connect are the preference.
Contact by phone,internet or paper
Touch yes reach out and touch someone
Immediately feel the joy of humanity
Only you can do this don’t delay
Never put off the chance make the connection now,today.
An Acrostic answer for you. Hugs xxi
Hey Willow, I wasn’t expecting such a poetic response but it’s lovely. Touch is one thing that always gets me ~ even two little fingers touching can symbolise huge connection or ‘not touching’ can be such an ‘absence.’
Oh! I love this Willow!
When minds join together to successfully exchange ideas, a connection is made. Sadly on occasion, a speech is made without connecting a single intended thought with anyone else that can hear it.. There are all kinds of fasteners that can hold a connection together. But the connection can be so much more than just what causes it to be so fastened. It’s not just the juncture, but the capacity for more than what could be done before some bridge occurred. Then, there is also the disconnect. With electrical circuits and group dynamics, that stops the flow of energy. When the bridge is out, what may have transferred is stalled, sometimes isolated, and sometimes forever lost.
Van, what a treasure trove of ideas and thoughts in here. Somehow I can’t get my mind away from a big sewing box, which I grew up with, that seemed to have every conceivable kind of fastener in it. Must confess that I never managed to learn to sew!
It’s everything. When I think connection, I am mindful of systems and that we live in a world of systems, that our bodies are systems and that in some way, we are connected to every thing and every body. Beyond the connection itself is that through those connections we are all related, we all affect and are affected by those connections. We shape them, and are shaped by them. When I think connection, I am reminded of Carol Gilligan’s theory of moral development for women, and the third level of development–an awareness of universal connection and transcendence that moves us to universal caring.
Hi Suz, thanks for a most interesting response. Certainly no wo/man is an island, that’s for sure! I’m looking forward to reading Carol Gilligan’s theory. Sounds fascinating.
Attachment
Lovely to hear from you Colleen. Yes, ‘attachment’ is a very powerful word, arguably more so than ‘connection.’ You really have me thinking now!
This is an awesome shot, with great depth of field. Upon first look, the connection happened automatically; in a sense that, I was there at the very moment. The snow sent a clear message of the strong presence of Winter, as we, New Yorkers, have been bombarded with a strew of snowstorms over the past few months. At times, you’d wonder if they’d ever give some much-needed break, in anticipation of Spring.
Hello Rod, I’m so glad you like the photo, which my late father took. It’s a real favourite of mine and connects me to thoughts of him in lots of ways.
Oh, Spring has to come soon!!!
This may sound odd but lately the connections that have meant so much to me are the ones made through this “blogosphere”. I love that I have connected with people from Ireland, UAE, Scotland, South Africa, Australia, many American states, to name but a few. It just makes me feel that the world is a tad smaller and more friendly. I’ve had some interesting “conversations” just through commenting on each other’s blogs! And though, I am far from knowing these people, I feel I would like them even more if (when?) I actually meet them!