Potential Friends

This year my friend says to me, "There is no such thing as strangers, only potential friends." Today that applied to my life more than ever I will tell you the story.

Today I was flying home. The flight was 5 hours. After the first 45 minutes of going in and out of consciousness and listening to music, as was the man (very attractive age 26) next to me, I noticed that we had the same mannerisms.  We listened to music the same, we both bobbed our heads the same moved our leg the same. We sat the same in our chairs, etc.  I then began to notice that we had the same hair color.  I am a very paranoid person if that is the right word, and as you may or may not know I am adopted, my mother was 16 when she had me which would make her 31 now and I assume her mate was around her age.  This man was young and attractive so I said, "You look so familiar, may I ask how old you are?" He answered, "26" and I said, "Oh, never mind.  Sorry, to bother you." "Who did you think I was," he asked.  So I explained that I thought I would get that one in a million chance and that he was my birth father.  He then explained that he was from Austria and grew up there until he was 18 he slowly began to move farther and farther away from home until he ended up in America 2 years ago.  This man, Manwell he said to be his name, this stranger and I talked for 4 hours straight on this plane.  We were laughing and smiling and cursing.  We talked about everything.  I had been in my favorite place in the world and now had to return to this hellhole so I wasn't in a very good mood.  He had just visited his girlfriend and now had to go back to work so we supplied each other's sunshine.  As  we began our decent, I was shaking and I told Manwell why I was so nervous to be back he comforted me with his words of wisdom and in the end he gave me a hug and said, "It was great to meet you, [insert my name here]."  I responded, "You too, really, I couldn't have made it through the flight without you." He smiled and said, "You are really a special person, I hope our paths cross again some day." and we left the plane.

Now this might seem very far fetched but talking Manwell really changed my life.  First, I realized how fortunate I was to sit next to such an attractive open minded person about ten years old than myself.  Second, I thought, why couldn't everyone be so openminded.  If I hadn't been open minded enough to ask this absolute stranger if he was my father and Manwell hadn't been open minded enough to answer, "No but, you are lovely it would be an honor to be your father."  We would not have talked through that plane ride and learned from each other.  Imagine if all people were as openminded.  Imagine if when you saw a two teens playing music in the street you didn't avoid contact.  Imagine all of the potential friends there are that you walk by and take for granted everyday, yes take for granted.  Next time you go out, just look around at all of these people who you could strike up a conversation and become friends with.  I sincerely think this could be one of the answers to some of life's questions.  Any who, it was quite the life changing experience talking to Manwell, it really was and I am so glad it happened.

This story correlates into a question my friend, New, asked me this summer as we hiked through Yosemite.  She said, "You know how we tell stories about people we see at the market who shock us or people we overhear at the restaurant who make us laugh.  I wonder what stories some strangers have about me?  I wonder what story I am in as some unnamed character that someone repeats to every dinner guest they have?"  First of all I think New really had quite the epiphany at this moment.  I had never thought like that before and now I do it frequently.  When Manwell returns to his apartment in Venice Beach and his roommate asks him, "How was your flight?" What will he say.  When he calls his girlfriend to tell her he made it back safe will I be mentioned in the phone call?  On his next plane flight as he takes his seat and some unnamed character walks in and sits next to him will he think of me?  Did I effect Manwell as much as he effected me?  I like to think I did due to the heart warming compliments he gave me but I will never be sure until, as he says, "until our paths cross again."  I hope Manwell and I will once again share a serendipitous moment together, but who knows its all in fate's hands now.    

What new friend can you make today?
In whose life can you apply some sunshine?