Strangers are in my life every day. Whether it be students at school I pass in the hallway, customers I interact with at work, neighbors walking their dogs, drivers on the road, or walking by others in public wherever I go. Sometimes the strangers we meet can change our lives for the better or worse. We could become best friends or enemies with them depending on the circumstances. Other times, brief interactions can have lasting impacts on us. In my case, I’ve had moments with strangers that I will never forget.
When I was a kid, I used to go sledding with my dad and sisters on a local hill during winter. One day while we were there, I sled down the hill quickly. While cruising down the hill, I got taken out by some other sledders behind me. When I got up, the sledders who wiped me out had sled down the hill in a suitcase! It was the oddest alternative sled I’ve ever seen. Another time, I went to Hogel Zoo with my mom and sisters. After we looked at all the animals, it was time to go home. When exiting the zoo, we could either leave by passing a gate or walking through a revolving door. We walked through the revolving door often, so that was nothing new to me. I think I was ahead of my family in line to exit, and as I entered the revolving door, I vividly remember two teen guys standing in front of me. The revolving door had several push bars that surrounded me, and I was used to holding on to them. It all happened so quickly in the moment that I don’t remember the exact order of events, but they were messing around, and I somehow got pushed between the cage and push bars. One push bar pressed my leg, another on my waist or stomach, and the last one pressed the side of my head. I was completely trapped by the push bars inside of the revolving door. It was hard to breathe because the bars were pressed into the side of my stomach so tightly, and employees came over to try and figure out how to get me out. To this day I can’t remember how I was released but I’m thankful I never needed any medical attention that day!
About two months ago, I received a random text from a stranger with a California area code who mistook me for someone named Josie. When I told her she had the wrong number, she felt so bad she offered to treat me to smoked brisket! She told me her name was Amelie, and how she was an LA resident. While I didn’t share any details about myself with her to protect my privacy, I thanked her and told her she was the nicest stranger I had ever met!
Some of my most memorable interactions with strangers have taken place at the mall. When I was in junior high, I went back to school shopping with my mom at a Tillys store. I can’t remember why, but while my mom was waiting in line to pay, I left the store to either go and browse other stores or grab something from the car. As I walked out the door onto the sidewalk, there was a group of 3 teenage boys sitting on the curb. While walking past them, they asked me if I wanted a free toe massage! Trying not to laugh, I politely declined and kept walking. It was one of the most out-of-pocket interactions I’ve ever had. During my sophomore year of high school, my friend and I went shopping together one night. While walking and talking, another group of teenage boys approached us. A guy greeted us and asked us how we were doing. We told him we were doing good. As he kept talking to us, he didn’t look where he was going, and he tripped face first into a trash can. I erupted in laughter and it was a hilarious moment!
I once attended a school carnival in the past, and a booth attendant asked if I was Walker Hayes’s sister. Walker Hayes is a famous country artist best known for his single, “Fancy Like” which he released in 2021. I told her no and explored other booths. A few days later, I got ice cream with a group of my friends, and I told them the story of what happened at the carnival. My friend looked up Walker Hayes’s siblings, and she learned he doesn’t have any sisters! As peculiar as the misconception was, it was a funny moment for my friends and I at the creamery.
In conclusion, I’ve had memorable experiences with strangers. Whether it be at the sledding hill or zoo, the mall or carnival, or those who texted my number on accident. Have you ever had any strange or unusual encounters with strangers?
