The Stranger I Never Really Met
Today I met someone I’ll probably never truly know.
For an hour…
I saw pieces of their life.
Some were beautiful.
Some were painful.
Some made me feel like we were alike.
Then I realized…
I wasn’t meeting the whole person.
I was meeting a chapter.
July 22, 2026
We never really know each other…
let alone strangers.
At the end…
we’re all just walking around this world hoping we’ll cross paths with a few interesting people.
Maybe they become something.
Maybe they don’t.
Today…
would be a day to remember in the timeline of Roberto.
Roberto woke up like every other day with one thing in mind…
relief from the daily grind.
We can all understand that.
What would he decide?
Oh…
what would he decide?
Please don’t judge.
And if you do…
do it with a smile.
While sitting outside, drinking his hot coffee and enjoying the sunny-side-up weather…
he thought,
“I’d like to be in a dark room… just chill… disconnect…”
I know.
It’s time for a facial.
ring.
ring.
ring.
“Hello…”
“Hi, my name is Roberto. I was wondering if I could schedule a facial for today. Do you have anything available?”
“We have a 1:30 p.m.”
“I’ll take it.”
“Perfect. We’ll see you at 1:30.”
First…
it was nice being in a cool, quiet place.
Second…
I was looking forward to getting away from the havoc of the daily grind…
if only for an hour.
“Roberto…
Kylie will be taking care of you this afternoon.
Please follow me.”
A petite blonde.
Blue eyes.
Slim.
Very curious…
well, I guess that’s part of the job.
“So…
what concerns do you have with your skin?” she asked.
“Ah…
I have large pores around my cheeks.”
After a bit of silence while she prepared everything…
one thought crossed my mind.
Dude… I hope that made sense.
“Okay…
are you allergic to anything?”
“No.”
Silence.
Beautiful silence.
I was looking forward to zoning out.
Taking a deep breath.
Disconnecting.
Then…
after literally one minute…
“So…
what do you do for a living?”
Fuck…
I guess…
there goes the quiet.
The conversation began.
“I sell bags to markets and liquor stores.”
And just like that…
we were off to the races.
I would end pleasantly surprised.
It almost felt like I had walked into a movie.
Only…
it wasn’t my movie.
It was hers.
“I love Los Angeles,” she said.
“I’m originally from Michigan…
about an hour and a half outside Detroit.
A very small town.”
“What do you love about Los Angeles?” I asked.
“The variety of people.
See…
my family is pretty racist.
My father especially.
Although…
he’s a funny racist.
I grew up around mostly white people.
Here…
I’ve met people from everywhere.”
Hmm…
I wasn’t expecting that.
A funny racist.
Now that’s an opener.
“I also lived in Miami for a little while,” she continued.
“That’s where I stopped being an introvert.”
“Oh nice…
how?” I asked.
“I did cocaine.”
“Well…
that’ll do it.”
😂
“I used to deal with anxiety…
and depression.”
All of this…
while soft elevator music played in the background…
and my face was wrapped in a warm towel.
“When I was seven…
I tried to hang myself with my jump rope.”
I didn’t really know what to say.
Then, almost as if changing chapters…
she smiled.
“I also love drawing.
Writing.
Photography.
I have too many thoughts in my head.”
“So…
what made you stop using cocaine?” I asked.
“When I moved here…
the cocaine sucked.
It was yellow.
So I stopped.
Then I started smoking weed.
Eventually…
I got tired of that too.
Now…
I just microdose mushrooms.”
Ding.
Time was up.
This wasn’t just a facial.
For an hour…
I had somehow wandered into someone else’s movie.
You never really know how a day is going to turn out.
And maybe…
that’s the beautiful part.
Question for the Reader
Have you ever had a conversation with a complete stranger that stayed with you long after it ended?
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I write about ordinary moments, unexpected conversations, creativity, and the quiet observations that often reveal something larger about being human. New stories and reflections are published regularly.
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