Herd of Buffalo

Over the past few years I have developed a real fondness for hiking. Hiking is good exercise and represents a great opportunity to see some beautiful parts of the country in an up close and personal way. Earlier this year, for instance, my cousin and I traveled to Wyoming where we hiked to the top of Mountain Bow Peak, which boasts an elevation of  slightly more than 12,000 feet. Even though we did this in July, there was still snow on the ground at the top. I never thought I'd get to throw a snowball in July. Something else I never thought I would do is see a live herd of buffalo. Thanks to the beautiful state of Wyoming, I can now say I have done that.

Seeing those buffalo was a great thrill and a surprise. I remember turning and suddenly there they were. It is a memory I continue to cherish. Such a moment is not unlike connecting with someone you do not know very well. You meet and without warning you feel the two of you are in sync. Of course, when those "like-at-first-sight" moments occur, the trick comes in doing what is needed to sustain the good feeling. That takes effort. And this effort includes implementing solid communication strategies. While I appreciate how that makes establishing a friendship sound so mechanical, the reality is that creating a lasting connection with any one requires work.

Meeting another person and liking them requires little effort. That, I believe, is part of the thrill. Seeing the buffalo was a similar thrill because it was so unexpected and demanded very little of me. But if I want to educate myself about those beasts, then that is going to take some real effort. The same is true for any of us if we meet someone we like. Learning their interests, preferences, history, strengths and weaknesses, etc. takes time and commitment. But if that initial connection is going to last, then those are exactly the pieces of information we need to collect and learn. The more research we do, the better able we will be to devise communication strategies that help turn that initial moment into something more meaningful and lasting.