Stranger Bonding

  The other day I had to get gas and as I pumped away, I found myself caught up in a conversation with a man at the pump next to me.  He was probably my dad's age and he started the conversation by asking about my new Jeep.  Somehow in the time it took the two of us to pump a tank of gas, I felt like I knew so much about him.  He had talked about his kids, his wife and his grand kids. It was such a comfortable and natural conversation and I felt like I was catching up with a long lost friend.  As I drove away from that conversation, I found myself pausing with strange curiosity about how that just happened...  I mean how did I just spend 5 minutes with a man I had never met before and drive away knowing as much about him as I do about people I've known for a long time?  Sometimes it's easier than others and I love those moments where that connection happens and you are reminded that people are still sometimes simple and friendly and "normal" and touchable... Even if your paths only cross for a moment you leave that moment feeling good by having been a part of it...

Another example of what I'm talking about happened about a month ago.  I was driving down the road and could see out of the corner of my eye that there was a white SUV driving right next to me and basically going the same speed as me.  As we moved down the road I saw the light that was approaching was turning yellow.  This is a road where the lights are LONG and I did NOT want to stop.  It just never even crossed my mind that the yellow light meant slow down...  it kind of just encouraged me to hurry up!  Apparently my parallel driver had the same opinion of that yellow light.  We both continued and went right through the light that was definitely red by the time we made it through it.  Almost simultaneously, we both put our hands over our mouths and looked over at each other.  We had run the red light and we had done it together!  As soon as our eyes met, we both began to laugh.  I couldn't tell you anything about that person other than it was a girl about my age... BUT for about 5 second, I had a blast with her. ;) 

People are such a mystery.  There are those that are so difficult to me.  They are hard to engage or to understand and no matter how hard you try, you can't click with them.  Then, there are others that seem like they were always meant to be in your life.  Isn't it fun to have those moments with other people that are just EASY?!  I love it when that happens.  There's no competition, no awkwardness, no disagreements... just simple interaction that leads to a smile...