This past weekend I attended the Lions Club District 1J Convention in Carol Stream Illinois. My attendance marked my 33rd convention, many of which I served as convention chair for our Darien Lions Club. Beyond celebrating our service to others, my favorite reason for attending a District 1J Convention is the opportunity it affords me to meet Lions from other clubs, some of whom have become close friends over the years. This year was no exception, in fact, I met several individuals this year who I hope will stay in touch with me over the coming years. I truly believe in the quote, “We don’t meet people by accident. They are meant to cross our path for a reason.” During this convention, I had a chance to meet several individuals whom I feel I was destined to meet. Let me introduce you to just a couple who definitely made an impact on me this past weekend.
The theme of this year’s convention was “disco,” and convention goers were asked to wear disco-style clothing. On Friday evening, I met Jerry from Algonquin, who came to the convention with a wig and clothing that reminded me of former “Survivor” singer Jim Peterik. Jerry’s outfit and wig were so convincing, one almost expected him to break out in a chorus of “Eye of the Tiger.” Jerry and I found ourselves engrossed in conversation, and we had several interesting conversations over the remainder of the convention. When we parted Saturday night, we wished each other a successful coming year and pledged to find a way to get together sometime in the future.
Throughout Friday evening, I had reason to talk to a young woman from the Island Lake Lions who, while early in her Lion career, has made significant contributions to her club. Her name is Sarah, and when she recounted elements of her life, I found myself drawn into her life experience as an individual who has dealt with significant life issues, especially her status as a legally blind person. While I always felt I had a good idea of what is meant by “legally blind,” Sarah truly “schooled” me on this topic, and we spent time Friday night and Saturday morning discussing how she copes with her blindness and with the challenges life presents her. I was truly impressed with this young woman; I consider her a real fighter, and as she said to me, her challenges have made her a stronger person. As with Jerry, hopefully, Sarah and I will continue to communicate over the next year.
There are two quotes that I feel summarize my convention weekend; each one speaks to how we form connections with others, and how listening to their stories, not only gives us a better idea as to who they are, it provides a mirror for us to better understand ourselves. Philosopher Roman Krznaric states that “to discover who we are and what to do with our lives, we need to step outside ourselves to discover the lives of other peoples.” This thought awakened my mind to a line from “To Kill a Mockingbird,” when Atticus spoke to Scout regarding “Boo Radley.” In assisting her in understanding why Boo was so different, Atticus stated that “you really never understand a person until you consider things from their point of view until you climb into their skin and walk around in it.” More than understanding their uniqueness, I more fully understand that meeting people such as Sarah and Jerry provided me with a chance to better reflect on my own life. I hope that each of you has an opportunity to better reflect on your life through the eyes of those you meet.