The Random Stranger

My desire to understand what a person is thinking has deepened over the past two days. Just yesterday while doing homework on campus, a random man approached me while I saw staring at the vending machine across the walkway. I was looking for inspiration in the white lettering on the machine panel. The man, a complete stranger to me then, paused in my vision, looked at me, and then came towards the table where I sat.

I wasn't paying attention to him until he was standing close and speaking to me. I looked up in surprise and began talking to him with a simple greeting. Eventually he sat down and we chatted for half an hour, discovering that we liked many of the same things. The entire time I thought why? Why would a person stop their lives to talk with someone random that isn't paying any attention to them? What caused this man to have the urge to speak with me, a random stranger daydreaming in front of their computer?

I've always loved learning about why people think they do. There is a reason I observe people; it's very informative and interesting. To create a story around a person's actions is a valuable exercise in my opinion. And this random stranger has been the focus of my thoughts.

A person who could pick out someone at random and chat with them for half an hour must be brave. Either that or entranced by the other person. The person must have been perceptive or likes taking risks. Somehow he knew that the stranger he approached would share similar interests or he was hoping to talk to someone. Maybe he was in desperate need of conversation and picked the less looking busy person (What does busy look like? I was daydreaming but my desk was covered by my computer, notebooks, and folders). Who knows if he was just desperate and needed to talk to a girl once in a while?

But thinking about his has been fun for me. It makes me wonder what this stranger's life was and what he thought about. I start thinking about him and then my mind wanders to other people. What makes people even talk to each other, let alone if they are strangers? The mind never ceases to puzzle me.

Moist

A simple comment mentioned in one of my classes started my thinking. I have always found it interesting how certain words, when spoken aloud, amplify their dictionary meaning. The word "moist" has been on my mind. Just saying the word brings a warm, wet feeling into your mouth. Your lips start from connecting and become a beautiful oval shape. Because of the "m" sound, the lips curl inward then push outward for the "oi," and lastly the "st" mostly closes the lips, capturing the last bit of air. The captured air is warm and the inside of the mouth becomes wet, just like the definition. The way the word sounds and feels brings such vivid emotions and feelings that the simple definition cannot bring on its own. By saying "moist" aloud, you are tasting the word and making is own meaning more dynamic. It creates a more personal connection that cannot be obtained by only reading with your eyes.

Resurrected

It's sad how schedule overcrowding and business makes one forget their goals. I wanted to work on this blog for my writing experiences and as a writing journal, but I forgot over time as "I'll do it tomorrow" became "I'll get to it sometime," which turned into "maybe one day" and was forgotten. I do hope to keep this blog going, especially since certain homework assignments will make this possible and I'll be on blogs anyway. Hopefully I will not forget about this project of mine and I'll do better in the future!