Maybe Strangers Are Not Meant To Be Just Strangers, After All

I like talking - whether I initiated it or by the other party - with strangers in random places (but then, even the place where you are [because you want to be there; planned] at the moment, essentially becomes random when you don't deliberately choose to be there as often as you should and the possibility of you being there in the first place is close to zero). There are strangers that are impressive merely because they stand out from the crowd for different reasons. It could be that they are dressed well, or not (again, perspective), or they are loud and you hear them very clearly even when you're lost in your own thoughts or breaking your eardrums with your music, or they do something noticeable (maybe by accident) while others are quiet, on a standstill or glued to their chair. But what sticks the most, is hearing a story from another stranger. Whether the story is compelling, amusing, hilarious, or life-changing, you don't fail to take note, because it resonates in ways relatable to you, or it becomes a pivotal point of reference (for your future, for whatever purpose it'll serve you) from thereon (e.g., as writing materials and more, in my case... I know, evil of me. So let's pinky swear you wouldn't sell me out?).

Maybe it's random, but maybe you're there at the right time. Maybe you're there, even without you realizing it, for that stranger - as a temporary respite, a break from what goes on in their lives (even if you don't know the details), a relief, etc. Or maybe, they're there for you, for reason you only know (if and when you give it a thought, there is something there, if you recognize the random connection). Since you don't know how your meeting affects the other (hopefully, in a positive light), you can only select the takeaways from your side of the fence. Even a brief tête-à-tête with a stranger has its purpose.

I see them in two ways - sealants that fill the cracks on my wall, and lights that find their way through the cracks. Either or both, they, sometimes, provide me reason when reason is too elusive for me to grasp.

Wow, the heavy random thought makes me en-lighten. How ironic is that? Okay, cornik. Lol.

So, I met a young mother of an ailing 5-yr old girl outside the MRI room in the hospital...

...and a loquacious François while waiting for my ride...

...and...