In 2019 I set out to meet 1,000 people in a year.
I was driving home from teaching my last class of the spring semester when the idea drifted in with the pollen. I gave it absolutely no critical examination, but it felt right. I like meeting people. (Most of the time.) I'm a journalist: Hand me a notebook, give me an assignment, and I can meet anyone. Now I had an assignment for all occasions. I could do this! As I rounded the curve toward home, I did some quick math-quick for me and realized I needed to meet about 20 people a week, roughly three people a day.
Unless you're in sales, 20 people a week is a crowd. Some weeks, when I'm trying to meet a deadline, I might not see 20 people. I might have to start introducing myself to strangers while pushing my cart through Kroger. None of this occurred to me as I pulled into my driveway. I had convinced myself it was doable.
In my journal a few days later, I note my plan. Do I reflect on my motives? I do not. It's a stunt, ginned up not for this writing assignment but as a little challenge for myself. Or something. I was like a kid jumping from a high diving board-if I thought about the distance I was about to fly, I'd never take that step into the air. Of course, when you leap, the drop to blue water happens so fast, you don't have time to work out a rationale. Suddenly, you're seeing bubbles and bobbing to the surface. But this was no launch into gravity's inevitability. It was a journey.
I just didn't know where to.
This story is from the Volume 2. No 3 - 2022 edition of The Oprah US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Volume 2. No 3 - 2022 edition of The Oprah US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The Perfect Gift Book for Everyone on Your List
Sumptuous reads that look as lovely on your coffee table as they do on your bedside table.
Long Live YOU!
A head-to-toe guide to staying strong, sharp, healthy, and happy well into your platinum years.
How to Manage Holiday Stress
Want to avoid family drama this year? Here are three ways to pregame.
How Makeup Artists Do the Holidays
Time to put your party face on! These glam pros are sharing a look they love—and modeling it themselves.
On Everyone's Lips
Carol Rasheed, the head makeup artist on The Color Purple, gives us a peek behind the scenes-and, thanks to her new lipstick collection, a memento.
THE MOTHER-IN-LAW Survival Guide
Ding-dong, she's here! But fear not-so are we, with advice on managing this singular relationship with grace, humor, and lots of heart.
The Enduring Power The Color Purple
It has captivated audiences as a novel, a movie, and a Broadway musical. On the eve of its latest incarnation, a sweeping musical feature film out on Christmas Day, we celebrate Alice Walker's universal saga of resilience and redemption with behind-the-scenes stories from the new book Purple Rising.
Who (or What) Do You Need to Thank?
Gratitude isn't just a topic for your annual turkey dinner. It's been scientifically shown to improve your health eating depression, boosting immunity, and lowering stress. These thank-you notes (plus an ode to a heartbreakingly loyal pup) will inspire you to make it a daily practice.
Beam Me Up
Bethany Heitman's self-esteem was tied to her clear skin, so dark spots sent her spiraling. Then she saw the light.
Turn Around, Bright Eyes
After years of despising the puffy bags under her eyes, Rae Ann Herman found a surgeon she trusted and woke up refreshed in every way.
