I was killing time and looking at my phone while I was waiting in line at the coffee shop.
“So how is your day going?”
I looked up, startled. I hadn’t expected anyone to speak to me and I was doing the very thing I had promised myself I wouldn’t do, that is, surf mindlessly while out and about, participating in life.
Suddenly, here was this perfect stranger asking me a direct question out of the blue. He was a younger man, with frizzy hair escaping from underneath a ball cap. His eyes were a deep hazel. He looked tired.
The words came out of my mouth before I’d even had much of a chance to think. “I’ve had better days, actually,” I said, not really knowing where this conversation was going. I surprised myself by my honesty, and for not opting for the usual “I’m good, thanks,” which would have required a higher level of cheer that I didn’t possess at that moment.
“What about you?” I asked. “How is your day going?”
He paused, tipped his head back, and frowned, just a little. “I just found out my dad has cancer,” he said.
“Oh no, I’m so sorry.” I was unsure about what else I could add. “How are YOU doing?”
He said he was actually doing okay. I asked him if he had brothers or sisters who could help, and he told me he had one brother he didn’t speak to very often, and three sisters.
“It’s good have family to turn to when times are tough,” I offered. He thought about this for a moment and nodded his head. And just as suddenly as our conversation began, it was over. It was his turn to order a coffee.
Before I left I told him I hoped his dad was going to be ok.
I’ve been thinking about this fellow ever since, and how important it is to make these small connections and embrace our shared humanity. Talking to strangers can be healing, and even inspiring and enlightening, don’t you think?
