Tonight, we had dinner with KTE. It’s been six to eight years since we sat down together—probably before I left United Way. You know how you run into people and, lacking better words, say, “Let’s connect for dinner”? It’s something we do as a reflex. It sounds better than, “We should grab a workout.” But let’s be honest—most of the time, we don’t really mean it.
Years ago, I stopped saying it unless I meant it. I don’t initiate if I don’t genuinely want to connect. And if it’s someone I actually would like to spend time with, and they say it without meaning it—I call it out. Literally. I’ll say, “You don’t really mean that.”
I think that’s what prompted his wife to make this dinner a priority. And I’m glad she did. The evening was meaningful. He’s from the generation ahead of mine, with a long and storied career. Hearing about his upbringing—a Romanian mother and German father, modest means—was inspiring. I love learning what motivates people, what drives them. That dinner filled me up.