Communication with a Stranger

    Last weekend I sat on the bus talking with excitement and so ready to spend time in New York City with one of my best friends from college. As I took the window seat and1headphones over ears, I almost didn't notice the elderly man sitting beside me.

    Two hours passed and I was still absorbed in my own world.2the elderly man asked me a question, a simple question3the bus's Wi-Fi connection, which turned into a two- hour4. In fact, it directly5my personal life.

    We talked a lot about my dreams, my fears and my life. I6more with this stranger on the bus than I have with any friend or family member in months. Maybe it had something to do with me just being7to let anyone I know close to me. I was 8 that the stranger was not only so deeply interested in getting to know me, but also just as willing to9me to my greatest abilities. He listened carefully to every word I said and made some useful10at times. Instead of politely11his head when I mentioned my major, he told me that my strong liking seemed to be psychology, but not the one I was studying. He said that he knew I would face difficulties if I studied psychology and that he fully understood my12for the failure.

    This elderly man made me13the plans that I had laid out for my life with just that simple statement. He helped me realize that my neatly14plan for the next five years of my life wasn't all that neat, but actually complex and filled with15. Most of all, he helped me16the complex, not stay away from it because of my fear for the unknown. I17a lot from talking with the elderly stranger.

    A few days later, he emailed me, saying, "I think you're18for great things no matter what you decide to do." The email was filled with words of19. In a few hours a stranger showed me a sense of kindness that made me realize that life is sometimes20but it is going to be okay.