Losing or Loosing

Living and working and loving in an environment like this, where everyone's lives intersect more than just at the office, binds us in ways that I've never had in a multi-sphered social construct. Here, we live in a culture where our Western education and access to - not to mention addiction to - international perspectives, information and dialog are truly foreign. This means that to get a taste of open dialog from multiple perspectives I, more often than not, revert to my International community. (Notably, there are several Indonesians who fit in this category; however, they are often ridiculed by their family or neighbors as "foreign wannabes.")

This combination of intellectual dependence, working proximity, and emotional/spiritual connection melds us as friends and brothers. Relationships are formed quickly and deeply. Most who spend more than a couple of years in this environment become either very bold or very timid relationally. All or nothing. Love without hesitation or wall up the heart. It's a place of beautifully dysfunctional people to be sure.

Graduation is this coming Thursday. Our fifth class to watch leave this magical place.

I'm not sure what to make of it.

Another section of friends off to four continents. Excitement and pain.

So, after five years of this investing and releasing, which is it? A losing of a relationship or a loosing? Am I selfish to say that not seeing some of them ever again means that I'll not know the return on my investment? Am I overly spiritual to say that I'll find out postmortem? And does it matter either way?

Graduation is this coming Thursday. And in some ways, the most exciting thing about it is that I get to wear my new tailored suit. Saying good bye is never a highlight for me.