Strangers on This Road of Life

My husband and I went to our local beach one evening (it's about a forty minute drive).  We went to the sunset market and enjoyed stopping by the different vendor booths, tasting different foods, meeting new people and in general, just having a relaxing time.  It also helped that there is a booth that provides chocolate covered strawberries at an EXCELLENT price AND TASTE!  We each purchased a dinner item (the hand-rolled sushi is to die for!) and looked for a place to sit. There was a table (a 'stand-up-and-eat' table) with a man and one of his friends standing, eating their food. I asked if we could share their table. "Sure! Come on over!" was the response. He was a Samoan man with a lot of personality.  He started telling us about his meal - deep fried alligator. He said how delicious it was. So, being the person I am, I reached toward his plate and as I'm doing so, I say "Now you know I'm going to steal a piece of your food to see what it taste like".  He just pushed his plate toward me and said, "No need to steal it. I'm offering some to you!"  So, I tasted deep fried gator from a "stranger's" plate.  It was like we were old friends!


Speaking of friends, no sooner had I tasted gator from his plate, a friend of HIS walks up, they give each other a "guy hug" and chat for a second.  This new guy sees my sushi and says, "I was thinking about getting some of that. Is it any good?"  I assured him it was delicious and offered him a piece of my sushi.  Well, he looks at me, looks at the sushi and then looks around....then says to me, "Uh, how am I?...uh, what should..." (he was trying how to take the food off my plate in a 'polite' way). I looked at him (a tall, handsome, black man with cute dreadlocks) and said, "You're just gonna have to pick it up because I'm not feeding you!" He laughed (so did my husband!), took some sushi and that was that.  We met a few strangers and became friends instantly.

I know, I know.  What does this have to do with anything? Sometimes we look far and wide for new experiences when in reality, some experiences are waiting for us in our own "backyard". This little homegrown California white girl meets a Samoan and a black man and together we are friends.  Size, age, ethnicity, skin color....none of that mattered.  We were just fellow travelers on this road of life.

A few months ago I stayed the night at my mother-in-laws house (she lives about an hour from us). I had an early morning race and her house was close to the race, so I stayed with her. Before going to her house for the night I went to dinner at the Olive Garden Restaurant to load up on carbs. It was a Friday night so the wait was pretty long. However, there was no wait at the bar and they served a full menu there. So, I grabbed a seat at the bar, ordered my meal and started reading the book I had brought with me.  A few minutes later an older gentleman took the seat next to me and ordered a drink. He started up a conversation and we chatted.

82nd Airborne Division
credit: Google search

I explained that I had a race in the morning and was there to fill up on carbs. He had just left a meeting for volunteers (and if he ever reads this he'll be disappointed that I can't remember the name of the military organization he referred to. Oops!)  As we talked I found out that he was a former paratrooper in the army. I told him that my daddy was a paratrooper, too! We were practically kindred spirits after that. We talked about his service in the military and tried to figure out if he and my dad were in the same infantry (which I later found out they WEREN'T in the same infantry but we were still kindred spirits!).

Paratrooper wings - my Daddy
got his paratrooper wings!

Anyway, we continued talking as our food was served and we ate. My bill arrived and David, the gentleman's name, took it. I told him it wasn't necessary for him to pay my tab but he insisted.  He said it was the least he could do for a me since my dad was a fellow paratrooper. What he said was much more eloquent than that and touched me deep but I don't remember his exact words. I just remember how I felt when he said what he said and insisted on paying my bill. I thanked him and left.


What this stranger, turned friend, DIDN'T know is that I was having an inward struggle that evening. My mom had recently passed away one and a half months prior. My parents were divorced. My dad had passed away about 19-20 years ago. It was Friday, the 13th. I was driving in a part of Orange County where my mom had driven many times. I had to mail a letter and the closest post office was the exact post office my mom had her PO box for many years. As I was driving those same streets my mom had driven and going to the same post office where she had gone I began to feel hurt, anger, frustration. I felt like my mom had 'abandoned' me. I cried as I was driving and had a 'conversation' with my mom asking her why this and why that.

So, David, having no idea what I was experiencing, stepped up and paid my bill because of my dad and his kinship as a paratrooper. I felt as if my daddy was saying, "It's ok, honey. I'm here for you." I know my mom was there for me, too.  However, in that instance, and the emotions I was struggling with, it was so appropriate to feel my daddy's love. David made that happen and he didn't even know.

The point here is we are all strangers travelling this road of life together. There are times when we feel alone and lost and abandoned. We feel like no one cares, no one will listen. I'm here to tell you that we are NEVER ALONE. There is always someone, something placed in our path to let us know we are not alone. Every stranger is actually a friend we just haven't met yet.

Next time you're out and about, whether it's on a trip or right in your own neighborhood, reach out to someone. You may even need to step out of your comfort zone, and that's ok. Just do it. Be a new friend to a stranger. Say hello. Smile at someone as you pass. Be the person that someone goes home and says or post on Facebook or tweets, "This complete stranger did this or this for me and I felt so blessed by him/her" causing you to want to do the same to another stranger some day.



Remember, you are NEVER ALONE, especially when YOU are the one creating happiness for someone else.

Much love,
Debbie