I thought I should add this after being "attacked" with conversation by yet, another stranger...
It was a usual day for me, hitching a ride from a coworker to Castle Hospital to wait at my normal bus stop. I sat down on the bench down a ways from a coworker of mine (what up Charles?). After we chatted a bit, a white woman who reeked of alcohol, laid down on the bench between Charles and me. I paid no attention, for I was accustomed to the abnormal beings that frequented the bus.
As Charles and I waited in silence, she suddenly walked over to the rubbish can just in front of me. I paid no attention as I listened to my ipod until she stood right in front of me, arms akimble. I looked up and she proceeded to tell me how she and this guy had gotten into an argument. Her tears began to flow. I could tell from her repeated phrases and her actions that she was not completely stable, mentally speaking. I decided I would listen to her and try to do what I could to help her overcome this terrible argument. (Plus, I had time to kill as I waited for my bus.) She continued to tell me how her boyfriend, who has been married 5 times already, woke up and started yelling at her. I sat there listening as this poor woman confided in a stranger at a bus stop in the late afternoon to console her.
As she told me her story, she lit up a cigarette and her frustrations with him continued in certain colloquialism I would not use myself. She was shaking as I told her she needs to cut this man out of her life. I let her know that she deserves better than to be treated with disrespect. I let her know it's him who has to want to change as she accused herself of being an idiot for going back to him. I let her know it was going to be painful cutting him out of her life, but she'll just has to recall this day that made her so upset.
After I seemed to sooth her some with a few encouraging comments, she thanked me again and again as the tears began to flow once more. She apologized for talking to me, a complete stranger. She then gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek and let me know she was going to leave now. I wished her luck and told her to take care of herself and she walked off.
It reminded me that we are all connected to each other in this life. We are all human and want to feel loved and needed. There is so much pain and grief in this life. We try to grow and learn from our relationships and at times it gets so difficult you just want to scream. Sometimes, we just need someone to talk to -- even if that someone turns out to be a complete stranger. It's interesting to me how somehow, I'm always that stranger...
As Charles and I waited in silence, she suddenly walked over to the rubbish can just in front of me. I paid no attention as I listened to my ipod until she stood right in front of me, arms akimble. I looked up and she proceeded to tell me how she and this guy had gotten into an argument. Her tears began to flow. I could tell from her repeated phrases and her actions that she was not completely stable, mentally speaking. I decided I would listen to her and try to do what I could to help her overcome this terrible argument. (Plus, I had time to kill as I waited for my bus.) She continued to tell me how her boyfriend, who has been married 5 times already, woke up and started yelling at her. I sat there listening as this poor woman confided in a stranger at a bus stop in the late afternoon to console her.
As she told me her story, she lit up a cigarette and her frustrations with him continued in certain colloquialism I would not use myself. She was shaking as I told her she needs to cut this man out of her life. I let her know that she deserves better than to be treated with disrespect. I let her know it's him who has to want to change as she accused herself of being an idiot for going back to him. I let her know it was going to be painful cutting him out of her life, but she'll just has to recall this day that made her so upset.
After I seemed to sooth her some with a few encouraging comments, she thanked me again and again as the tears began to flow once more. She apologized for talking to me, a complete stranger. She then gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek and let me know she was going to leave now. I wished her luck and told her to take care of herself and she walked off.
It reminded me that we are all connected to each other in this life. We are all human and want to feel loved and needed. There is so much pain and grief in this life. We try to grow and learn from our relationships and at times it gets so difficult you just want to scream. Sometimes, we just need someone to talk to -- even if that someone turns out to be a complete stranger. It's interesting to me how somehow, I'm always that stranger...
2 comments:
I like it. I like strangers. Always have. I also like strange places. I like the unknown. It's all good. Want to meet some strangers in Portugal? I think I can make it happen if you're serious!!
I'm in!
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