We cross paths with strangers almost every single day and yet we never give them a second thought.
Most of the time, we're probably annoyed that they are driving too slowly in the left lane or talking too loud on their phone in a restaurant, so we think "dammit that person sucks go fall into an endless pit" and then move on with our day without ever thinking about them for the rest of our lives.
But some people encounter a stranger that, although they never see each other again, build a bond so strong it withstands the test of time.
And that's why it's always important to be kind to those weirdos you don't know on the public bus, they may just be why you restore your faith in humanity.
via shutterstock
1. Fingers_9 goes to watch some football:
I went down from Leicester to Coventry to watch my team, Swansea.
Got off the train and asked this bloke, probably in his early 50s, if he knew how to get to the stadium. Turns out he was a Swansea fan, so we got the bus togther.
We were a couple of hours early, so went to the pub for a few beers. We then headed to the ground for a last beer before the game.
We ended up sitting next to each other for the game, then it turns out we were both going to London after the game. We got the train togther and had a few more beers. We then said goodbye at St. Pancras station.
I spend about 6 hours with this bloke, and will most likely never see him again.
2. AResselCompany needs to pee:
When I was like 8 or 7, we went to a truck stop and I was waiting in line at the restroom, a stall opens up and i'm the only one in line until a guy goes up to the stall as the person there before is leaving, before the man goes into the stall the first guy points at me and says "hey man he was waiting first.", the guy stopped and let me go then. Never gonna forget that legend
3. currentlyquang walks into a toy store:
So back when I was in 5th grade, I was riding my bike in my neighborhood when I came across this toy company. I though it was a toy store so I walked nonchalantly into it, thinking very little. Anyway a man who I think was the manager welcomed me and ask me why I was there. I wasn't very sure so he went ahead and gave me a tour and walkthrough of the company. He was a gentlemen and even gave me a toy (can't remember what) when I left the building.
4. Quismeaux vents his feelings:
Seven years ago, my girl and I broke up. Being in my early twenties and having the audacity to think I'd met the one true love of my life, I felt like my world was crashing around me. A few nights later, I went to a local bar by myself to try and straighten my head out with a fifth of bourbon.
The bar's patio almost always gets full at night, and the only open seat was at my table. A pretty little blonde girl walks out, looks at the seat, smiles and says "Hi, how are ya?", sits down and starts smoking.
We end up making small talk, which leads to me spilling all the overly personal shit that rational people don't dump on a stranger at a bar. I even remember crying at some point. But she wasn't weirded out or put off. She didn't judge me. She just listened and interjected occasionally to hear more details to get a better grasp of the situation.
After an hour of losing my shit, I regained composure and ended up getting to know her; she had gone through a failed engagement about a year prior, and was now doing fine. Told me I'd be fine too, in time.
At about 1am, after about four hours of talking about life and all the shitty things that come with it, she looked at her phone and said, "Oh shit, I've gotta go. You take care, you hear? You'll find your happiness, I promise." And left before I had the chance to get her phone number or even her name.
I became a regular at that bar and have been back easily over 100 times in the past seven years, but I've never seen her again. Obviously, I know now that failed relationships are far from the end of the world, but it really stuck with me that a person would take all that baggage on herself to make a complete stranger feel better, even if only for a moment.
I really don't ever expect to run into her ever again at this point, but every time I go to that bar, I scan around and kind of hope she'll be there.
via shutterstock
5. miauw62 gets bromanced in Italy:
I was on a school trip to Italy, and we were on the dome of the Saint Peter's Basilica. I ran across a (fairly handsome) Danish dude a few times on the way up and down, and at the top he told me "I'm not gay, but I would be for you". I'm not gay either, but a compliment is a compliment and we took pictures. I still think about it when I'm feeling down, tbh.
6. aTron6424 has the best lunch ever:
This guy working at Chic-fil-a who said "peace, love, and fried chicken my dudes" to my brother and I as we left.
7. itisnotwhatitbe rides the cookie express:
I was sitting on the subway for a long commute and was generally agitated from the start. I was one of three or four people on the train and this chick pulled out a noisy plastic container of cookies and started eating them while I was thinking "how inconsiderate, doesn't she know you're not supposed to eat on the subway? rude bitch. She's going to leave crumbs everywhere..." Then she turned and looked at me to offer me some and, though I refused, I felt horrible for just thinking she was a nasty person at first. The way she offered was so genuine and friendly.
I stopped categorizing people. You're still not supposed to eat on the subway but just because people break the rules or don't realize they're being inconsiderate doesn't mean they're a bad person overall. Since then, I've tried my best to never assume the worst in people.
Assuming everyone is just intentionally being a jerk will make you a miserable person. This one simple grocery store sugar cookie eater taught me that important lesson.
via shutterstock
8. Docsin gets some encouragement:
When I was out jogging as an overweight person, I went past a young mom out walking with her baby stroller. After jogging myself near the brink of collapsing, because frankly I didn't know how to exercise in moderation, I was slowly dragging myself home. I passed the same mom sitting on a bench on my route home, and she simply told me; "nice work".
I'm still not physically fit to this day, but such simple words of encouragement from a stranger still warms my heart.
9. BusterSmash meets a real life hero:
Was in college, was starting another fall semester, had a new job, but no place to live after being screwed over by some people I had arranged to rent a room from before returning from an internship out of state. I was off work at 5 am and had nowhere to go and just sleep. So, I decided to drive to Louisiana which was about 45 minutes away and do something. Ended up at a casino. Decided to go in with 100 bucks and a pack of cigarettes. Learned to play craps, table got "hot" for the other players, one guy in particular was placing 1000 dollar bets while I'm just doing the 15 dollar minimums, trying to learn the game. Big money ended up making about 12,000 over the course of my dice rolls. I lost my 100 after gaining some but losing out. I start to leave, the guy catches up to me before I make it out and asks me if I'm okay, noticed I was real tired and frustrated looking. I just tell him I'm having a hard time, don't get specific. He slaps 2000 in chips into my hands and tells me to have a better night and thanks me for the luck I brought him at the tables and just leaves after patting my shoulder.
I cashed out and had a deposit and first three months of rent paid up on my new place by the end of the next day. If you're out there dude, thanks again. You were my hero that day, hell that year! I just hope I can do something like that for someone one day.
10. AmySchumersAnalTumor goes to Ireland:
I was 18 and on vacation in Ireland. Was sitting at a pub when an older gent next to me started up a conversation. We're talking and all off a sudden he drops this gem.
You know, the misses and I haven't been intimate in about 2 years now. God bless her soul though, she's been dead for four.
And then he cackled and wandered off, leaving me to sit there like what the fuck
11. NoBuddyIsPerfect is remembered by a stranger:
Back in the 90's, my school went for a trip to India and we ate at this one small restaurant in Kovalam Beach, Kerala with a group of about 20 people. The waiters were kind enough to move two tables onto the beach for us, so we could eat with our feet in the sand.
10 YEARS later, I visited Kovalam Beach by myself and ate there again. Suddenly this waiter say: "Weren't you here 10 years ago? With a school or something?" Dumbfounded I answered "Yes?!" He grinned and said "I remember! We put the tables on the beach for you guys, didn't we?"
After 10 freaking years!!!!
12. G0R3Z learns to stop making assumptions based on appearance:
I was on a bus and there was this absolutely enormous Black guy, possibly the most intimidating looking person i've ever laid eyes on. Massive muscles, popping veins, and dreadlocks.
Old lady was struggling to get up when the bus stopped, this guy went to over to her and helped her up with the most delicate "let me help you with that". I'll never forget that and it concreted one of the bigger lessons in life "don't judge a book by it's cover".
13. fired77 had a guardian angel:
A guy named Jason sat with me after I got hit by a car. He waited when no one else did, made sure I didn't die by the side of the road, and got help. I owe that guy my life.
14. towa666 will remember this forever:
A guy I met in the smoking area of Fabric, a huge club in London, at about 4am in May 2012. At the end of the conversation he said "you know what's funny? We just chatted about our lives for an hour and don't even know each other's names - and that's why none of us will ever forget this moment".
via shutterstock
15. BIllyBrooks reminds us to be kind:
Middle of the day, April 4 2012.
I was walking home from the bus stop, in the middle of the day because I'd just been made redundant and sent home. I had a work phone at the time, so that had to be left behind - no phone, nothing to listen to as I walked, feeling pretty sorry for myself.
An old man standing in his driveway called out to me. Short, speaking with a heavy Greek or Italian accent. He asked if I could go inside and change the time on his clock. He didn't know how to do it since daylight savings ended a few days or maybe a week or so before.
I had nothing better to do. I went inside and figured it out fairly quickly, and changed the time on his oven/microwave clock too.
He said thanks, and that he was a widow and his son doesn't live in Melbourne, and it's a very lonely life. I had no idea what to say to that. I said sorry I guess - and I knew he was desperate for someone to talk to, but I had to figure out how I was going to pay rent and feed my family. I wasn't feeling chatty so I stayed maybe another minute or so and went on my way home, maybe 100m away
Never saw him again. The little red car that he owned was always parked in the driveway, pretty sure he never drove it. It was always there, every time I walked or drove past.
Maybe 9 months later, the little red car wasn't there anymore. Another month after that the house was up for sale. Now there are two different cars parked in that driveway.
from CollegeHumor: Pictures http://ift.tt/2CDohUB
0 التعليقات: