A stranger

A stranger is the person with whom you can’t have an open conversation.

One of the many definitions of the word stranger is “a person with whom one has had no personal acquaintance”. The words which pop-up for me are person, no and personal.

A stranger is a person with whom I’m not personal. The girl with whom I shared a smile in the bookstore, because she had in her hands one of my dearest readings, is a friend not a stranger.

My father and I have many personality traits and passions in common. Since I was little we talked about the human condition, why things happen and how one can grow. Our discussions don’t have a purpose, they are a tool to bring us closer. I can’t have an open conversation with my father, he doesn’t know simple facts about my life — he is a stranger.

But THE stranger in my life is me. At some point in life I think we all feel this way, even if we don’t have the courage to admit it. Yes, “admit” is one big part of this equation. It’s very hard to be honest with yourself. Sometimes it comes easy. But most of the time we have to travel through mountains of past experiences and swim through questions like: “What if?”.

Silence is the breeze of a conversation without words. For me talking or being among people is most of the time a way to escape myself, the stranger who resurfaces. I’m learning (for a couple of years) how to spend time alone, to enjoy my moments while building bridges for my thoughts.

Be friends with your stranger, embrace the unknown, it will take you to familiar places. ☺