by: Nancy K. Eberhardt
Twenty-five years ago, waiting to board an eight-hour overnight flight from London to Nairobi, I observed three Kenyan men chatting and laughing as they prepared to return home after a training in England. Once we were on the plane, all of us Americans sprinted to open seats (overseas flights were often not full back then) and spread out to nap. The three Kenyans were in their assigned seats, shoulder-to-shoulder, continuing with their camaraderie.
As I woke, still spread out across the row, I saw the three men fast asleep, sitting upright in their same seats, heads on each other’s shoulders. In that moment, I remember thinking that’s the definition of community. I envied their self-confidence, trust and comfort in each other, and I felt some shame and sadness at my desire for space.
As we remain socially-distanced, I worry that we may never have a chance for that level of community.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Recent Posts
I recently moderated a conversation with Richmond-based entrepreneur BK Fulton – a…
Read More »Despite steady improvements in auto safety features and declines in drunk driving,…
Read More »Sitting in my Georgetown hairdresser’s salon ten years ago, I heard the…
Read More »A colleague who was being considered for a newly-vacant COO job repeated…
Read More »Summer hiatus brought tourist travel to Ireland, a 40-mile walk, service, and…
Read More »Leadership is a keyword/hashtag/training objective/career goal, and/or universal search optimization term. And…
Read More »During a recent interview, a public school superintendent was asked about the…
Read More »Recently, CEO clients have been asking for referrals to very specialized consultants…
Read More »Dr. Garret Westlake, master of innovation at Virginia Commonwealth University’s da Vinci…
Read More »During our February Encorepreneur breakfast, Dr. Garret Westlake (master of innovation at…
Read More »