Propinquity
I got this definition from the Merriam-Webster online dictionary: \prə-ˈpiŋ-kwə-tē\ Noun Etymology: Middle English propinquite, from Latin propinquitat-, propinquit as kinship, proximity,
from propinquus near, akin, from prope near — more at, approach Date:14th century
An old word that I’ve found sums up the way relationships zig and zag through my life so far. A lot of other people’s lives too. We just don’t stay put anymore. We make friends where we happen to be.
I can think of a couple of people I knew in college- did things together, good friends. But once I moved on, never saw them again.
We do the same thing with our workplaces. There are people you see every day, but once you change jobs, that relationship fades. If you don’t stay in the same place, the names and faces are going to change. If we’re lucky, we keep in touch with some of our old buddies, and hopefully make a few new friends along the journey.
Yesterday, I found out one of my former co-workers passed away five months ago. We used to work together at the great American department store. She was from France and loved to cook. A few years ago, gave up retail to run a little cafe. Also, I should say, when I worked with her, she was living with (not dying from) cancer. She carried around a mint tin in her purse with her huge daily dose of all the chemo drugs making her routine possible. Her name came to mind yesterday, so I put her name into the search engine. I would have hoped for a little article in the newspaper about her cafe, but no, her obituary appeared. The good news is I think her children are teenagers now. Bad enough they lost their mother, but she fought hard and won a few more years with them. Rest in peace, Brigitte.
Proof of Recession! I went shopping yesterday at that big place that starts with “W” and as usual, it was a zoo. I go there now and again to get stuff like paper towels, dishwasher detergent etc. I just find it’s easier to go to the discount place, rather than wait for the sale at the market. To me, the big crowd means everybody else is trying to save a few bucks too.
But the real proof we’re in a recession is our Harley-Davidson stock has tanked! Our cousin gave us one share for a Christmas gift a few years back and we’ve been hoping to hang onto it and become millionaires someday. The dividends were reinvested. Also, we’d purchase more now and then and I think we have something like 21 shares now. It’s worth half of what it was a year ago. Then, in the news yesterday, I heard that Honda will no longer make motorcycles in the US. There was a plant in Ohio that made Gold Wings, as well as cars, but not anymore.
This isn’t true for everybody of course, but I think a lot of people my age aren’t going to be as “well off” as their parents. It’s not as though we were all grasshoppers and wasted our money. Sure, some did. But I think the percentages of what things cost have changed. Housing being a biggie. The “formula” for affording a house use to be 20-25% of a person’s salary- but I know people paying 50% or more! Anyhow, it doesn’t leave a lot left over for things like motorcycles.
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