In the grips of a hurricane

I have to tell you about an experience I had a couple of days ago...

There was a man walking in front of me down the street, he tried talking to a woman who passed him.

She acknowledged his presence for a split second then continued on her way.

From the way the man was dressed, and by his outward appearance,

my immediate trust level was not extremely high. 

I had my ipod on and attempted to pass the man without any interaction. 

He hesitantly looked over at me and said hello. 

I smiled and kept walking, he looked like he wanted to engage in further conversation.

I took out one of my earbuds and asked him how he was doing. 

He smiled and said just fine, then asked if I knew anything about the news on North Korea (it was the same day the headlines were rolling with news on tension between the North and South) 

I turned my ipod off and explained the details I had picked up throughout the day while we walked together for quite a while discussing our fears about potential conflict and hopes for peace. 

When we had to separate, he looked at me. Smiled. And said "don't be scared now" and gave a friendly wave as he walked off. 

I've had time to reflect on this moment and recognize the entire interaction as one that challenged my understanding of myself and helped me grow as a person. When I think about how I relate with other people, trust comes up quite a bit. Stereotypes, so deeply ingrained in me and others, shape our relationships and connections with strangers. 

I prematurely judged this man. A mistake I've made in the past and will make in the future. I take this experience as one to show me, once again, that people are so much more than what appears on the surface. This man's last comment about not being afraid, it put my fears to rest. That may seem silly, but in our five minute conversation we developed a bond of mutual respect and trust. 

Talk to strangers. If, out of fear, you don't...think about how many amazing individuals will walk in and out of your life without even receiving the warmth of your smile. And think about how many beautiful faces you'll never get to appreciate. Open those doors, break down the walls that prevent you from connecting with the world and the people around you on a deeper level.