12/13/11

Little Boxes


So many people are shut up tight inside themselves like boxes, 
yet they would open up, unfolding quite wonderfully, 
if only you were interested in them.  
- Sylvia Plath -


Last Sunday, while taking the train from Roskilde to the Copenhagen airport, I met a foreign exchange student from Latvia.   We sat next to each other in silence for twenty minutes or so, and then he shyly observed how Isaac looked like he wanted to play.  I could barely hear him.

"Is he yours?" he asked.
"Yes.  I'm sorry if we're crowding you."  Isaac had moved off my lap and lodged himself into the two inches of free space between our seats (he was practically sitting on the guy at this point).
"Oh no, I love kids."

And this began an inspiring conversation that lasted the next half hour.  We covered every topic from Latvian culture and climate, Christmas traditions, economics and finance, and travel in the U.S.  I reached the airport in a completely different frame of mind than when I'd left the apartment that morning, feeling particularly awe-struck by how refreshing a simple conversation with a stranger can actually be.

... Which makes me wonder ... What other stories are waiting to be heard?

5 comments:

  1. Aww. I love talking to people on planes/other public transport...I don't get when people hate talking to people because I always find out interesting stories.

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  2. i love this. moments like that are the best.

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  3. It's like when I walk down the street and see someone coming towards me, I always give them a smile because you never know what sort of day a person has had and something as simple and kind as a smile can make a complete stranger feel good. And the thought that I may have made someones day just a little nicer makes me happy. A little bit of kindness can go a long way....even from a complete stranger.

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  4. i love conversations with strangers..one time i was coming back from san diego and this guy talked to me the entire flight about everything...funny thing was that everyone seemed to be sleeping but us so everyone was listening to the convo haha..good thing most of it was not inappropriate ;)

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  5. Love your blog! I'm following! ♥

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