I like routines. Routines feed my OCD, and routines happen to be a secret to getting crazy amounts of work done in a day. My routine derailed in the form of heavy rain and a freeway closure this evening. I normally, leave my client site, zip back to the hotel and join calls for another client in a time zone hours behind me. Then I finish the day with a few critical tasks before treating myself to a nice dinner.
Today, I never made it back to the hotel. I got off the freeway after a half hour standstill, and I found a place to park, and went into the first place I could find in the pouring rain. I think the establishment strives to be a wine bar, but the wine is meh, and the pizza is YUMMY!!!!!!!! I am not sure what the establishment calls itself, but I am calling it a pizzeria.
I am now surrounded by commuters that could not make it home. The place is packed, and everyone wants to explain to everyone else why they are here alone. Hmmm…I go places alone all of the time. Is there something about myself that I am failing to explain? I cannot pretend to care or feel self-conscious.
I do enjoy hearing the stories of strangers. Everyone has a story. I am inherently curious about everyone’s life story. I always feel a sense of appreciation when someone takes the time to share their story. The workday will be extra-long tomorrow as I will not finish my evening tasks, but tonight, I am indulging in the perspectives and stories of others as we wait out the rain and freeway closure.
My only spoken words thus far have been to order my pizza, while unengaged in the conversation, I make no apology for listening in while folks shared their stories.
Story snippets go something like this…
What happened, why is the road shut down? (no one has the answer.)
Oh, this is just crazy! My husband is going to have to take our seven-year-old daughter to ballet! (says a stunning woman with posture that suggests she herself was a ballerina as she orders her second glass of wine <no judgement>)
I waited for a whole hour, traffic did not move at all. (everyone as some version of this).
On the whole, all conversations are positive. Some are more engaging and interesting than others, but all are positive.
Let’s get to the conversation, the absolute just by chance, conversation that has me writing this post right now. There is a couple sitting at the bar top that planned to be here. They arranged to meet at the exact same time they met more than 25 years ago. The place they actually met at is now closed (thanks COVID), so they chose this “new” place. Today is their 25th wedding anniversary. Cheers!! And virtual hugs for sharing their story and making everyone’s downpour a little better.
Next to me, a woman toasted their story. Naturally, the blushing bride asked the woman next to me to share her own story, and as they talked, the woman celebrating her anniversary naturally asked the woman next to me what her “relationship status” is. I heard every word of this conversation, and nothing about it was intrusive. This was truly a “I want to know more about you” as you are a beautiful person conversation.
The beautiful person’s story, she is a widow, and she has been for more than five years. She goes to work, and she goes home, alone. She lost her husband and child in a car accident. My heart felt a stabbing pain when she used the words “social pariah” to describe herself.
Somehow, when I walked in and asked the server for the Wi-Fi password. I knew that this woman was out of her norm. As she shared her story, I wondered why she asked me if I needed the seat between us when I sat down.
I now know why she needed the seat in between us. While she sat, awkwardly (only in her own mind) alone, she texted an old friend that lives in one of the many townhomes that surround us. <I am such the eaves dropper.> The two know each other from high school. He is a widower.
They are now engaged in conversation, and I stopped eavesdropping as it is now a private conversation. I can hear him laugh genuinely as she speaks. Maybe these two spend the rest of their lives together, maybe they just become friends. So many maybes, but with certainty is that sometimes life outside of our routines in the middle of a downpour is exactly what we need.