About the kindness of strangers
We meet them every day, they are part of our life but most of us probably don’t think about them a lot.
Strangers -The people around us who we don’t know anything about. Humans of who we have no idea how they live their life or what they dream about or what they fear.
Is it only me or do we all most often forget that they dream and fear too?
Maybe it’s because I’m German (and we are know to rather not interact with others if we don’t have to) but it makes me so happy every time I see strangers starting to chat or to help each other.
Like the young man sitting next to me on the train. He helped five people to put their luggage onto the shelfs high above them. Or those people in the queue at the supermarket who give a stranger a dollar if they don’t have enough money with them.
Small acts of kindness. Tiny positiv interactions that remind us that we are all humans.
I love that between strangers it is clear that you don’t want something in return for your kindness – other than a thank you and a smile maybe. No second thought. It’s pure because most often you won’t see that person again. It’s some seconds of positiv interaction and then you part again.
That’s what I also love about my ‘1001 Strangers‘ project. I get to spend a few minutes with a person who’s name I will never know. Most often we just talk for a few seconds, take the photos and then both leave with a smile.
It’s these tiny moments on the train when a child says something funny and everyone smiles and somehow you feel connected. The moment when you laugh because you walk up on someone and you don’t manage to pass each other because both try the same direction at the same time. And isn’t it the best to make someone else smile? Giving a smile or a helping hand or a unexpected dollar to someone gives so much back to yourself.
We all fail and we all have bad days. But in the end we all try to make the best of this life. Let’s all try to be that kind stranger more often and make others and our selfs more happy.