Pam Perry. When I sit
and contemplate how people have intersected my life, the visual resembles a
labyrinth similar to that of a Japanese transit grid. The Yellow rail takes you to point B with
several stops in between. The Blue rail
will take you to different stops with a few intersecting the Yellow line. Tokyo, by the way, has the most extensive urban
railway network and the most used in the world with 40 million passengers in the
metro area daily. I digress.
Pam is a friend whom I met through another dear friend. However, given our circle of friends, common
interests, and the Tokyo rail analogy, what I’m trying to say is that Pam and I
were destined to meet.
A few years ago, Pam set out on a grand international journey. One that would take her away from her family,
home, career, and life as she knew it in Seattle for almost a year. To no one’s surprise, she returned a
significantly changed woman.
When I get a little (or a lot) nervous at the road I am
going down, I can look to her as a
source of inspiration who did not let fear get in her way.
The love for our pets is another connection point and the penny exchange occurred at a dog park with our golden retrievers in tow. Perhaps it was the other way around? As we returned to the cars, at first glance
it appeared someone had ransacked her front seat. At second glance it was remnants of the booty
that awaited and we both had a good laugh at the spectacle. Her zeal, determination, and pure passion make
these pennies worth gold to me!