Who are your people?

This morning I stopped to get gas after dropping Brent off at work. As I pulled in to the station the sun was starting to really break over the hills and there was this just gorgeous golden glow happening in the clouds. Then to make it even more breathtaking there was a rainbow. Golden clouds, brilliant rainbow, just gorgeous. One of the attendants was walking across the lane and saw me staring ahead. He thought I was trying to get his attention so gave me one of those "what?" looks. I pointed behind him and he turned to look and...shrugged his shoulders and moved on. Not my people.

As I was pulling out of the station a man was walking out of the gym next door and he was looking toward the rainbow and tripped over his own feet he was so enthralled with the view.  I smiled. He is one of my people.

And on the drive home I picked out those that were and those that weren't. The sky got even more golden and the full rainbow was present for a bit. Stopped at a stoplight the people with their heads turned toward the left staring with a smile on their faces, my people. Those that either looked and then looked away or didn't even notice. Not my people.

I came up the hill towards home and there is an old out of business nursery next to a field. The clouds and sun were breaking in such a way that there were pockets of highlighted golden areas and then that brilliant rainbow behind. Gorgeous. I wished I had my other camera with me as well as the skill to be able to totally capture what I was seeing. It was just so lovely. There was a man pulled over digging in his trunk getting out a camera. My people. There was a woman waiting at the bus stop not even looking toward the gorgeous sky show that was going on. Not my people.

In life we find all sorts of ways to divide those around us in to "my people" and "not my people." I like artists. But I don't like mopey artists. I like people who create because they feel it bursting out of them. That they just cannot contain their ideas, or the beauty they see or what ever it is they want to share and it just bubbles out. I like that. My people.

I like smart people. But more importantly I like people who are not content with what they already know. I want to be around people who are not only willing to listen to new ideas but driven to do so. I have very little patience for people who are set in what they believe with no room for discussion. No matter how intelligently they can argue their point. Not my people.

I like funny people. If you can make me laugh then you are in. But I don't like people who make jokes at the expense of those who already have a hard time in life. My friends and I tease each other constantly. About egos, odd personality traits, weird shoe fetishes, whatever. All of it is fair game. But if you make a joke or post a meme or think it's fine to laugh at someone who is truly at a disadvantage in life already? I have no time for you. You are not my people.

Sometimes it takes awhile to really discover who your people are. You get to know people through work or online or through friends and think, are you my people or aren't you? It can be tricky sometimes. But there are shortcuts. Like coming home and finding a picture on your newsfeed like this.

Charles is my people.