Month: February 2025

Inspiration can come from literally anywhere. Three years ago I wrote a blog post about random transient connections our souls sometimes make with people we don’t know and will probably continue to not know. (You can read it here).

Sometimes it takes several meetings before a person finally crosses that boundary from stranger to acquaintance. Most of the time however we don’t even think twice about someone once they’ve passed through our lives as a member of the crowd.

Three years ago when I wrote that blog post however I was inspired by several people I had transiently met in the recent past. People I never expected to encounter again or even remember for that matter.

But then a month ago, I did. The briefly mentioned young man from the shop halfway across the world.

In 2021 while shopping I had randomly asked him what his name was. I honestly don’t remember why. Mind you I travel a lot so I meet a lot of people… learn a lot of names after which frankly, I don’t remember 99% of them. For whatever reason this one stuck. And then? I paid for my clothes and went on my way. Came back to America, resumed my life, had a baby, gained some weight and became so consumed in my life that I eventually forgot about our encounter… until last month.

Suddenly back in India, my SIL suggested visiting that shop again as she likes it. As soon as I walked in I saw the young man and was immediately reminded of our forgotten encounter. Three years later for me to remember a face is a personal record and on the flip side he sure as hell did not remember me. He didn’t show an ounce of recognition, and why would he.? He probably sees hundreds of people move through his shop per year. Customers come customers go but for some reason this customer (I) remembered. As he helped another attendant show me new outfits I mentally struggled with how to bring up our last encounter. Should I? For fun? Or should I just let it go. What was the point? There was no point. I guess just for the amusement of us both. I mean I had mentioned him in a blog post never intending to see him again. What’s the worst that could happen?

I have this tendency of being really random and just ripping the bandaid off. Sometimes I just don’t think about the outcome. Luckily in this life 100% of the time people have had a positive pleasant reaction.

The itch to say something grew and so suddenly before I could stop myself, I did. India generally is a little more relaxed with prices than Western countries are. My Indian family members are expert bargainers and I think the shopkeepers enjoy it somewhere deep down in their hearts too. I on the other hand despise it and am horribly embarrassed at even trying. But I wanted to break the ice.

“Are there any discounts on this?”

“No” he said

“Will you give me a discount if I tell you your name?”

*look of curiosity” “what is it?”

*I repeat the name he had told me three years ago*

As his eyes widen a very curious smile breaks out on his face

“How do you know??”

“You told me!”

“When?!”

I smile at him cause I’m not going to tell him. Either he can remember, or be baffled by it for the rest of his life. And it’s probably going to be the second because how can he rem—-

“Ahh yes! I remember!” He exclaims as he proceeds to tell me exactly where we stood 3 years ago as he attended to me and recalls exactly what he sold me.

Amongst hundreds of customers a year, he confirmed that our shared memory was also logged and forgotten deep within his brain as well.

I told him I’d mentioned him in a blog and he really wanted to see it. I couldn’t remember which blog it was at the time or to what extent he was mentioned so I couldn’t show it to him then. Upon returning back to America I searched and found it. He wasn’t mentioned much in that post, but given this encounter and his curiosity to read what I had written I felt like he deserved an entire post dedicated to him. I don’t know what the future will hold, or if we will ever even meet again. But I do hope he gets a chance to one day read this one about how this story came full circle!

So here it is, to the guy who was supposed to be a stranger. You inspired an entire blog post! Thank you for giving me a fun story to share with my readers… and as promised, I’ll hopefully figure out how to let you read it!

Cheers and enjoy. 🍻

They say life is like a book with many chapters. I disagree. Life is actually a series in which every relationship, every incident has its own book.

Throughout our lives so many people come and go. Some are there in the beginning, some join later. Some stay a while while others leave when it’s their time to go. Some incidents and folks are simple short stories while others are novels filled with chapters.

Some books are filled with tales of deceit, hurt, and negativity. They tell stories of falling and developing the strength to soar again. Others are filled with so much love, hope, happiness and all sorts of pleasure making one’s head rush in giddiness. Some chapters are dense, filled with so much emotion, so much deep content. Others are one sided and dry… where we don’t have the full story – only the narrator’s (our) perspective.

Our memories store these stories of varying sizes. The permanently inked verses the easily forgotten. Some stories presenting as a mini series themselves, partially written, partially waiting to unfold. The written parts read and stored to be revisited later.

And how diving into stories already written and read bring back those vivid moments as if they happened just yesterday. Leaving us with excitement, or leaving us with the pain all over again. Leaving us questioning “why” in various ways.

Some stories leaving us asking why something had to happen. Why we had to cross paths with demons. Why did hearts have to break. Why did facades have to exist.

Other stories are of pleasant weather and dinner outside of a cute little restaurant. Music playing. Positive vibes. Feeling like you’re glowing because your company makes you feel angelic. A moonlight stroll sharing anecdotes and poetry. Favorite writings. Life stories and swapping advice. Asking the hard questions which have only difficult answers.

But the biggest question perhaps that comes up a few times is “why did this have to end”. A phase of life. A good time. A relationship. A friendship.

And if by chance a story isn’t completed yet, reignited by some factor, we realize we are still writing that specific novel. Some chapters are filled with times surrounded by many. Other chapters are filled with tales of loneliness, wondering what happened to everyone. My book tells my perspective. Your book tells yours.

And only time will tell if and when those stories will be come together to tell the whole story.