Trust Must Be Earned

During my dating days in Montana, I went out with a bearded guy who flipped houses, rode a unicycle, and had a whitewater canoe.

Yes. You read that right. A whitewater CANOE. We got in it and flew down Rock Creek. Yes. You read that right. It was, indeed, a CREEK FULL OF ROCKS. Then, we had deep fried bull testicles at Rock Creek Lodge, home of the TESTY FESTY. Yes. You read that all right too.

Mantana. Gotta love it.

In his truck, on the way home from our day of adventure, he looked over at me as I was gazing out the window at the mountains. I was wondering what in the world I was doing with him.

He said, “You don’t trust me, do you?”

I said, “No.”

He said, “That’s ok. Trust must be earned.”

It was at that precise moment that my date got a whole lot sexier.

Sometimes, I want people to immediately like me, to relax around me, to know that I mean well and I want the best for them. But, in my haste to steamroll past any initial awkwardness, I forget that the best relationships are forged over time. Through conversation. After shared experiences.

Trust must be earned.

It took interstate moves and family gatherings to build my relationship with my partner. It took river trips and road trips and running trips to forge my best friendships. It took tours through Australia and New Zealand and apartments in the Haight and the Inner Sunset to bond with my sister.

Awesome relationships take time. You don’t have to steamroll through the process. Relax and enjoy the conversations, the shared experiences, the adventures.

Who do you love? Spend time with them.

Whose trust do you desire? Earn it.

Whose whitewater canoe would you get into to travel down Rock Creek?