The Connectors...

Have you ever heard of the Six degrees of Separation?

I have, but I was never sure what exactly it meant, until I recently started reading Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point. I know, I know a little far behind the trend but I never said I was a trend-follower! I do get around to it though, eventually.
It really is fascinating. In it he talks about different kinds of people and one group of people is the connectors. A connector is someone who knows so many people that eventually anyone you are trying to connect with will always be directed to you through a connector. Their group of friends and acquiantenances constitutes a huge varitey of different people from different walks of life. A friend of mine is a true example of a connector.

She genuinely likes people, she will talk to anyone, stranger or not. We go on our daily morning walk and she will greet and wave at, at least a handful of people within that hour. She, however, will not do what we all tend to do and give the obligatory wave or nod. If she can, she will always ask "How are you?" in the most genuine of ways. Funnily enough the person responding will always have something more to say than "Fine thanks, and you?" They will most of the time elaborate, like today when we were told that a storm-drain cover was stolen during the night.

I find as we get older we tend not to be bothered with people, that they can become a little tedious or even boring because we've heard their story so many times. But a connector will find something of interest in everybody and will take the effort to continue that acquaintance.

Out of all the groups, I would like to be a connector, because they have never allowed themselves to become cynical toward their fellow man.