I have two main sources of my socialization with strangers over the year! During the ski season I enjoy lift rides with random persons and conduct what I call my 6 minute interview. That includes asking leading questions to get them to reveal something of their life stories related to skiing and their general arc of existence. I do share some of my experiences as well and usually there are mundane revelations. However, occasionally there can be a blockbuster revelation where we make a surprise connection. That is an additional pleasure added to my day and I hope theirs too.
This is now my off season for skiing so my second venue for socializing with strangers is the CNY Living History Museum being as a volunteer guide for visitors. It is an enlightening and entertaining experience to prompt life stories from our clients as well as revealing to them the highlights of the museum collections and history.
Often the visitors are from Central New York as locals, but we do have visitors from not only the United States but also from the wider world including Australia, Europe, South America, Asia and Africa! Almost always, I don't really know who they are by name and I merely wear a name tag announcing I am Gerry. Sometimes after I introduce myself, they will offer their first name. Therefore, often I am operating in a nowhere land of the identification of the visitor. Just as I have surprise encounters in my ski interviews, I also have similar encounters at the museum. This past Thursday I had a surprise encounter that truly blew me away!
Our Museum has a Wall of Fame that honors locally born people of Cortland County New York which includes Homer, New York where the Museum is located. One of the Wall of Fame members is Catherine Bertini. Among many of her accomplishments is being the Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Program for 1992 to 2002. Beyond that she has served in many other national and international posts involving international relations, food security and the like under several presidents of both US political parties. She is also the recipient of many medals and honorary doctorates. Her academic career has also included teaching at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University. Surprise! Thursday afternoon she showed up at the Museum with a companion to have a tour. When I was assigned to guide them, I had no idea who she was so I started off on my usual routine pointing out different features of note. About halfway through the tour while we sat for a while while her companion wandered off to look at some things. Somewhere in the conversation came the revelation that she indeed was the Bertini of our Wall of Fame! It was an embarrassing moment for me that I had blithely assumed she was just like any other off-the-street visitor.
I must say that she is for me a model of graciousness and humility in spite of all the kudos she has received. She has restored my faith that very accomplished people can remain humble with the rest of society.
How I wish that could be so for the political leaders of the United States in the present and in the future before us.
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