September 28, 2016 – Seattle, Washington

“How do you know when to stop putting everyone else’s needs above your own?”

…the gentleman sitting across from me asks, rhetorically. He’s holding both of his arms out, palms up, painting a picture for Miri and I in regard to what it looks like to be a universal platelet donor. Platelets are a blood component whose function is to stop bleeding by clotting blood vessels. Coagulopathy, hemophilia, various deficiencies… many people need these kinds of donors.

Travelers flow around us, through us, circulating the terminal. Pathways lead them to their gates. Airplanes transmit them to the places that they need to be.

This man is in his early seventies and has already engaged us on topics such as Miri’s desire to act, current social issues, and the difficulties of having conversations with strangers due to (in his opinion) technology. He goes on to say that he doesn’t know “where to draw the line.”

He is a catalyst for people that he will never meet.

As Miri’s plane begins the boarding process, we start saying our goodbyes. The man had walked away, but decides to return and begins another conversation. She asks him to postpone this conversation until the plane ride. He inquires about where her seat is, and to their mutual surprise, discover that they will be sitting next to each other on the flight. What are the odds?

I begin walking toward my departure gate, but my mind continues to wander. I imagine society as one living aggregate. Like platelets, we attach ourselves to substances before facing our wounds. We turn on our receptors and secrete chemical messengers. We connect to each other, acting in concert.

We are one organism.

Our interactions with each other heal our wounds.

“When we truly recognize the oneness of all humankind, our motivation to find peace will grow stronger. In the deepest sense we are really sisters and brothers, so we must share one another’s suffering. Mutual respect, trust, and concern for one another’s welfare are our best hope for lasting world peace.” – Tenzin Gyatso, Dalai Lama XIV