Moments when talking with someone new

Today while waiting for a friend in Starbucks I noticed a woman sitting alone at one of the larger tables. I sat across from her, said hello and commented that I was happy it was finally the weekend. She agreed with me. I asked if she had anything special planned, and she told me she was actually waiting to meet up with her boyfriend. She confessed that she was a little bit nervous because they met online, and this would be the first time they were meeting in person. I told her about one of my friends who had met her current boyfriend online and that it can be a really meaningful way to get to know somebody before actually meeting them. SC Mar 7

Went to in to get my guitar re-strung and I asked a man playing there “Why did you start playing guitar?” He said that guitar gave him something to focus on in life and he loves it. He stated his previous struggles with abusing substances, and how during rehabilitation he started playing and has continued ever since. KE Mar 6

Buying food to make dinner, I went to the cashier and asked “what has gone well for you today?” She said she is simply happy she still has her job. One could assume that she may have almost got fired from that statement, but I decided to push further. I asked her what she meant by that, and she replied “I have friends who are struggling to find any form of work right now, so being able to come to work is actually the best part of my day.” KE mar 3

Walking my dog today, I saw a woman reading a book while she threw a ball for her dog to fetch. I asked her if she was reading anything interesting, and she said she was reading The Empathy Exams. I asked her what she has learned from the book, and she said that “nothing in life is a stand-alone. Every hardship and success creates the person you are. Everything in your life highlights one another, giving them greater depth, and you should accept the good with the bad. Everything has a meaning.”