There’s a magic to the unplanned, isn’t there? The universe throws us conversational curveballs that can turn an errand into an impromptu therapy session, or a walk home into a produce acquisition. I, for one, love these accidental connections, and the universe has been serving up some gems lately.
Take, for instance, my stroll home from the beach. A man, in his yard, offered a tomato. “Where’s it from?” I asked. “My garden,” he replied. And just like that, a garden tomato was mine, with a reminder to wash it. A transaction of human kindness, complete with advice. It was glorious.
“A transaction of human kindness, complete with advice. It was glorious.”
But the true encounter unfolded at the local hardware store, or rather, because of it. I went in for a key duplication, only to be met with the dreaded “wrong kind” pronouncement. They then pointed me towards a shack, near a Chinese takeout place, with a warning: “The guy’s not nice.”
Naturally, my interest was piqued. “Not nice” is often code for “eccentric and probably has a fascinating life story,” and who am I to resist? So, I braced myself and found the shack. An older man, a fixture amidst key blanks, was indeed abrupt. Keys copied, mission accomplished, I thought. Little did I know, this was merely the prologue.
Fast forward a week or so, and a set of keys was nowhere to be found. My mind immediately went to the shack. Why return to the hardware store when there was potential for something more?
This time, the universe delivered. The “not nice” man was, unexpectedly, thrilled to see me. Perhaps my return signified a deep appreciation for his key-duplicating prowess, or perhaps he just needed someone to talk to. Either way, the floodgates opened. He admired my t-shirt, then launched into his life.
“He admired my t-shirt, then launched into his life.”
I learned about his sailboat, lost in the 2008 recession. I heard about his retirement dilemma – a hoarder’s struggle to pack up and sell his house. He recounted the tale of him and his wife getting lost at sea, requiring a rescue. He even divulged his high net worth – a tidbit I wasn’t expecting with my key copies.
And then, just when I thought the conversation couldn’t get any more bizarre, he dropped the bombshell: his skepticism about a Harvard scientist’s theory that an object in our solar system is, in fact, an alien ship here to enslave us. I was not aware of this possible threat. (Yes, I looked it up later. It’s a real thing, and frankly, I’m now slightly worried.)
I, ever the optimist, promised to return for a visit after the object passes us by, if we’re still here. He wanted a hug, but settled for a fist bump. I walked away with my keys and a heart brimming with the sheer weirdness of humanity.
This world, my friends, is full of interesting people. Life is so strange. If you’re open to listening, people will tell you the oddest, best, most incredible things.
What’s the strangest or best encounter you’ve had lately?