Never talk to strangers... and other childhood lessons to ignore

Never talk to strangers.

If you can't say something nice - don't say anything at all.

Don't cry over spilt milk.

Never eat cold pizza for breakfast.

The childhood wisdoms...all have a time of true-ness and a time to disregard.

So I just finished reading one of those leadership books with life lessons and little stories, so maybe my mind was already in that mode. If I were to write a book along the same lines it would be, "Never talk to strangers... and other childhood lessons to ignore."

I returned this evening from what seemed to a a serendipitous-pay-it-forward kind of day. After attending a local craft fair my take-away was, "why buy it when you can make it!" This evening's adventure then became to make the route of Hobby Lobby, the Dollar Store, and Walmart, to let the craftiness begin. I was in the check out line at the second stop, when I dropped a greeting card out of my arms. (I always try to shop with out getting a cart, but really should just give in to begin with.) The girl behind me quickly went to pick the item up for me, conversing about how she had just got done working out and was in the action mode. I thanked her and we went on our separate ways. I went to the next store on my list. As I was progressing the aisles at this final stop, I saw the same girl and although we had not connected deeply, recognized her enough to say hi. To which she responded, "hey, I just saw you." It was just kind of funny and maybe you just had to be there; maybe it is one of those effects of living in a small-average size town (There were actually a few other people that I recognized from my earlier stops, too). We went on our separate ways. Then a few minutes later we meet on the other side of the store. This time conversing a little more, her asking about an item in my cart and me saying, "I'll probably see you later," with her laughing response, "yeah, don't leave with out me." I was sure that we'd meet again at the check out or something, but not so much.

That was the end of our conversations. But, maybe on my next adventure in this town? Who knows, it could be the start of some great friendship...but if nothing else a simple conversation, adding to the lives of others, expecting nothing in return...
with what otherwise would have been a stranger.