June 13, 1999

A Stranger

The greatest events in life are those accomplished by strangers. These non-known people are literally what dreams are made of, providing us with comfort, laughs, passion, and fulfillment. How many times have you been in a bad mood and seen some innocent fool slip on the ice or trip while doing some inane activity like roller-blading and walking a dog at the same time? This gives you a chuckle. How many times have you heard some passing nobody say some tidbit that you turn into infinite words of wisdom that guide you in your destiny? How many times when you have bemoaned your existence and someone's tragedy with disease or natural disaster as seen on the news puts everything in focus?

Strangers are buoys in the sea of life. They help keep us on our course in the sea of life even though the metaphor is stretched and sickening. We have no idea when strangers arrive or where we can find them. That is their allure. The surprise tells us how important their influence is, and moreover, it sparkles the imagination and fantasy. After all, how many romantic interludes begin with the meeting of a special stranger? Or friendships for that matter?