Chance
Sara Teasdale
HOW many times we must have met
Here on the street as strangers do,
Children of chance we were, who passed
The door of heaven and never knew.
HOW many times we must have met
Here on the street as strangers do,
Children of chance we were, who passed
The door of heaven and never knew.
if strangers meet
e. e. cummings
If strangers meet
life begins-
not poor not rich
(only aware)
kind neither
nor cruel
(only complete)
i not not you
not possible;
only truthful
-truthfully, once
if strangers(who
deep our most are
selves)touch:
forever
The weather is starting to cool down a bit in south Texas. It’s still hot by most standards. Instead of 100 degrees (38 Celsius), It’s cooled to 90 degrees (32.2 Celsius). Break out the gloves and scarfs – LOL. I went for a walk on a close by nature trail. I wanted some solitude and the trail offers plenty of it. Well, a biker passed by and wished me good morning. Ten minutes later he passed by again and asked how my day was going. Ten minutes later he comes up behind me and slows down and starts talking. I had several choices. I could have told him to get lost. I could have told him i wanted solitude. Or, I could engage in conversation with him. I asked myself, What if I engaged in conversation with him. My intuitive defenses weren’t giving off an alarm, so, I did. He rode at my walking pace as we talked. After a half mile, he got off his bike and walked his bike while we talked. Here were two strangers connecting. He was from India and I from the US. A mile later he thanked me for the conversation and took off on his bike. I was grateful for meeting him and the engaging conversation we shared.
Let go of an insular attitude and reach out. You’ll discover there are no strangers in your life, only friends waiting to meet you.