Thanking the Butterfly

Last week at my manager conference last week I heard about the butterfly effect from Andy Andrews*. This week I got to live it.

The butterfly effect was a scientific paper first published to professional scorn in 1963 by Edward Lorenz. That paper claimed that a small change at one place in a nonlinear system can result in large differences to a latter state. Or, as it was more flashily dubbed, "Does the flap of a butterfly's wings in Brazil set off a tornado in Texas?" The answer, as proved by physicists much later, is a resounding yes. The butterfly effect is now a law, the law of sensitive dependence on initial conditions. Or, when it comes to the mysterious science of human relations, because of our interconnectedness everything you do makes a difference.

Everything you do makes a difference.

The point was slammed home to me by meeting my sweetie's sponsor for the first time. Since the fella's people are sparse and widely scattered this was closest I'd yet come to meeting family. He was a delight, a 10 of the nicest people I know, super upbeat type and we had a rollicking good time full of all sorts of special treats but if we'd have met for 5 minutes at the Wash-o-rama the effect would have been the same.

I know for a fact that I would not have the best thing in my life without this person being there first. Because of his one yes years ago (non recovery me imagines a sponsor to be part lighthouse, part safety net, part angel on your shoulder) and all the resulting kindnesses my life was changed forever and for the best. So that's what I said, clumsily and through tears. It's not often that things align so neatly to give you an opportunity to express what you ought and I'm so grateful to have gotten that chance.

So thank you Edward Lorenz and thank you sponsor.




*Do yourself a favor and go to YouTube and watch Andy Andrews butterfly effect talk. It will make the world smaller in the best possible way.