Sometimes the connections made in the to and fro of my day are singular encounters in both meanings of the word. One meeting, one conversation which for some reason lingers in the mind.
I am not sure if there is something about my face that says "you can talk to me, it is safe" or just that I happen to be in the right place at the right time, but people talk to me about stuff. Then again perhaps they are in a place that they are talking to everyone, who knows.
One such conversation was with a school girl, she was waiting for the bus on her own having just spent time in detention for an infraction which she informed me was not instigated by her. She talked about her alienation from others at school and her feelings of low self worth. She told me all about her martial arts class and her ambitions to be a police officer and stay out of trouble and be someone respected. She was very open about her family being in general on the other side of the law and her firm intention to become the exception. I provided a level of approbation for her future plans. That was a couple of years ago now, I saw her only once more after that, but we did not speak, just a look of awareness passed between us as she waited now with companions for her bus. I hope that she made her plans work and is well on her way to her goal.
Others have spoken of loss and grief, of joy and new families, wedding plans or holidays gone awry health issues and new beginnings.
Some conversations are a delight and others are uncomfortable and a few are seriously though provoking.
No comments:
Post a Comment