Two weeks ago I had met this amazing human.
Little did I know that simple “late lunch” plans on a rainy Sunday afternoon, would result in my world being flipped upside down; giving me a different perspective on life and the people that inhabit it. I can tell you after this experience that I truly believe people are put in your life for a reason.
One Blue Point Toasted lager and a perfectly cooked medium rare burger later, three hours passed and I wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye to this stranger. We had then ventured to a Costume Store in hopes to find a shark costume in honor of Halloween being just around the corner and I, myself having this strange desire to be a predator of the sea. After walking out with no shark costume and slight disappointment, the night was still young in New York City and so were we (easily the lamest thing I’ve ever written, dear god). The city lights had then lead us to our second to last stop “White Oak Tavern” (I recommend their Old Fashioned) after covering every subject matter in the book; from likes, dislikes, fears, stupid facts, music and domesticating a wild squirrel on his end (If that isn’t the most Floridian thing I have ever heard in my damn life, I don’t know what is).
Blaming Bulleit Bourbon for my lack of classy, female vocabulary and saying “balls deep” during a normal conversation I felt as though this wasn’t the note I wanted to leave on, nor remember me by. So the night carried on and he had showed me a plethora of different bands, but one in particular had stuck out to me.
After spending a total of 20 hours with this person we had parted ways and he was back on a flight across the country. The first moment I had truly began to ” fly by the seat of my pants” I think that’s how the saying goes…Was when he had texted me the next day saying the band I had found a high interest in was going to be in Brooklyn that weekend. After I read that I had immediately purchased a ticket; never going to a concert alone but always wanting to; this was my opportunity. The night had arrived and I had went, and let me tell you it was the most magical experience a person can do with themselves; be alone in a crowd of strangers who appreciate the same music as you do. There was a moment when I just closed my eyes and felt like everything in my life was at a calming equilibrium.
48 hours after I had met this person and knowing him for a total of 20 hours; I had ended up buying a plane ticket to fly across the country to hang out with this cool ass dude one last time. Many of my friends thought I had lost my damn mind, most of them thought I was going to end up on a episode of Dateline (fair) and some of them had supported the craziness that is myself. After taking a chance and hopping on a plane; I spent 4 epic days getting to know this stranger who I have come to realize has a bigger heart and is a better person than myself. Today; an incredible moment happened. As I was thinking about my awesome weekend; I said to myself “Be as good as a person as he is.” I was walking down to go get my laundry and a little elderly woman was also doing her delicates had started to chat with me; if you know me well enough, you know I have my headphones in every second of the day. Today, I took them out of my ears and I got to know this woman, finding out she was 78 years old and lived on the 5th floor of my building and still does her 87 year old husbands laundry (bless her heart). I had offered to take her laundry up to her apartment for her and her response was “I’ve lived in this building for 42 years and no one has ever offered that.”. After barely making it up to the fifth floor (on my end, she was cruisin’) she said “God bless you.” At that very moment I had realized why I had met this man who I will probably never see again; I met this human to remind me to always be a better person than myself.
If there is one thing I hope someone gets out of reading this is don’t let the bad in other people take away from an opportunity to get know a complete stranger.
Take chances, follow your gut and do things that may make other people question you. I can promise you, you’ll meet some amazing people and experience many moments that you will forever be grateful for.
“Tootially.”
-B