You, Me, I

I drew the picture while sitting in a coffee shop in Washington, DC's Chinatown last week. I was in DC to drop off some personal things and look for a place to live -- I'm moving in July. As I sat in the coffee shop and watched the hustle and bustle of daily life for folks going to and fro on a beautiful Friday afternoon, it struck me: We are all the same, but we are also different. This is not a new idea, but for me it was one of those "Ah Ha!" moments of instant clarity where something makes obvious sense.

It was an "Ah Ha!" moment for me, but I'm sure some will read it and say "Huh?". As a human race, individually we share the desire to live happy, healthy lives, and wish the same for each other. The desire to live a happy, healthy life is what makes us all the same (You, Me).

What makes us different is the "I" factor. In this case "I" stands for individuality, or those traits that are peculiar to each and distinguish us from another (I). What makes us special as humans is a desire for individuality, but the one thing that makes us individually different (I), also makes us the same (You, Me).

Even though we have the same basic destination of a happy, healthy life (You, Me), how we arrive at this destination is a product of our individual preferences (I).

Did I lose you (You, Me), or myself (I)...?