RNZN Provides Like Minded People Too

Outside your family and immediate circle of close friends, do you sometimes struggle to feel connected to others? To find a link which immediately unites you with some sort of bond?

When I talk or think about like minded people nowadays, I think of writers. Ones I know personally, social media friends or just writers whose work I’ve enjoyed, these are the people on my wave length.  Apart from my family and all the joy they provide me, writing is my lifeline. It’s my place to go, and yes, sometimes probably to hide from the outside world. I have the most in common with writers. They understand the ups and downs we all experience as we navigate our volatile industry.

But a couple of weeks ago I remembered there are others who’ve played a huge part in my life. Others who today might be as different as can be from the cloistered writer I have become. These friends probably don’t turn to a book for a momentary escape from reality, company, or even just the sheer enjoyment of reading the written word. I doubt most of them would ever considered writing as an occupation. Yet for a whole weekend I rediscovered how much we all belong together.

Recently the Royal New Zealand Naval Women’s Association celebrated the anniversary of 75 years of women serving in our Navy. A gathering of old and not so old like minded people enjoyed reminiscing and sharing tales of their adventures while serving. Friends I hadn’t seen for as many as forty years, united in a comradeship I’d forgotten. That weekend reminded me that while our lives diverge and take off in different directions, some things need never change. Friendships formed with these like minded people need never be broken by time or distance. All we need to do is remember how much that camaraderie meant to us.