143. The Sunset Connection

This sweet listener submission is about the love of sunsets, and how commonly shared that love is.

Transcripts may not appear in their final version and are subject to change.

INTRO MUSIC

STANDARD NORA INTRO

Okay Listener: Hi, so my name is Kelly and I live in Kansas and I’ve been listening to the podcast. Kind of since its inception and I love what y’all do, but I’ve always thought about you know I don’t I’ve never really known what I could call in about But I just had something happen that I don’t know it just like made me feel good so Uh, basically I’m really into sunsets.

Like I just love sunsets, especially, you know, the, the very colorful ones. And I always have, but during COVID particularly, it just became like a ritual I had to go to the top of the parking garage at the condo complex I lived in and every night I would just. Go to the top of the parking garage and watch the sunset because from the seventh story of this garage, there was just an amazing view looking west.

And I lived in Austin, Texas at the time. And you could just, I could just stand there and watch, watch the sunset for, you know, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, whatever. It didn’t really matter because, you know, couldn’t, couldn’t do anything else during COVID, but it was a nice way to, to end the day that was, you know, peaceful when we were already so isolated, right?

So, That became one of the rituals I had during the pandemic to the point that, of course, I, you know, being the millennial I am, I felt the need to create an Instagram about it. And, you know, I sort of still post to this Instagram about sunsets, but, but not as often as I used to. Cause I don’t have the same view I, I used to from that condo in Austin.

Anyway, I am in Kansas currently, and I just went shopping and it’s about 8. 30 at night in August. And I just walked out of the shopping center and was looking towards the West and the sunset was just really pretty. And I grabbed my phone to take a photo. And I kind of felt like a nerd because I was taking a photo of this sunset and there were a bunch of people like also walking into the store I just walked out of and I was like, Oh gosh, they probably think I’m like such a nerd taking a photo of the sunset.

Like it’s good, but it’s not that good. And as I was walking to my car, kind of, you know, having this, you know, moment of insecurity, I. I looked back and there was someone who also got out of a car and from where I saw it, it looked like they were a teenager and I watched them take out their phone and also take a picture of the sunset and I was like, Oh, cool.

That’s awesome. I mean, you know, teenagers think it’s cool. So I must be doing okay. And I had this like moment of gratification. And then as I started driving away, I I looked over and there was someone standing at a bus stop who also had their phone out to take a picture of the sunset and I don’t know, it was just this like moment of like, you know?

It’s just really nice that they’re just like complete strangers in this world. Like, I don’t know anything about either of those other people I saw who also felt the need to take a picture of the sunset and who knows if any of us will ever even look at those photos we took ever again, but it was just this really nice moment of connection that made me feel good and made me think of this podcast, so I just wanted to share.

OUTRO MUSIC

CREDITS