Solace in Strangers
By Kate Loeffel
Image from Lindsay Love
In times of desperation, doubt, and loneliness, we seek the support of those who have proven safe- a known source of comfort. Falling into their bodies like blankets when the world's weight wobbles their balance. Arms of lovers, hugs from mothers, or a friend's shoulder.
However, a profound source of condolences is offered from the disclosure of a person entirely unfamiliar. Speaking freely and seemingly inconsequentially to the listening ears of someone who may not even be graced with the knowledge of your last name is deeply intimate, instilling abreaction without risking identity.
A connection marked by brevity and the strength of humanity offers rewarding catharsis when a situation proves to be too dire to bear but too personal to share. Paradoxically, we may be willing to sacrifice the depths of our fears and sorrows to a stranger on the subway when we find them too confidential to risk our current relationships. This outward cry to be heard without looking for continuous support emerges differently.
It's seen in the man who chooses the bar after work and plans to drink away his sorrow. But the warmth of the whiskey isn't comparable to the open ears of the bartender before him.
People evade their own minds by pursuing a different body. Ending in sheets not belonging to them, acting in infidelity to ease the grievance of their reality. Lust is intoxicating when provoked by a novel person, unaware of our story, who won't ask to become a part of the silent underlying narrative.
The smiles from peers, waves from neighbors, loose connections, and small strings of attachment are enamoring. Gentle, sweet, fleeting interactions symbolize the premise of potential. Waves from other runners on the trail invigorate us to keep persevering in the onset of fatigue, motivated only by a common hobby and a spark of external approval.
When our chests filled with broken hearts by love, the twinge of electricity emitted in the eye contact of the passerby reminds us of healing and the evolution of our soul. That connection is unbounded and opportunistic. It fosters the imagination of love to be grown, even when it isn't yet in bloom.
May we continue to relish in the presence of people unfamiliar. Strike up conversations with the cashier and compliment the woman with a swoon-worthy smile. Give them a story to take home nowhere other than their dinner table recipients, who will never know your face, which was the genesis of the anecdote.
Notice the solace found in strangers, the tenderness tucked in every corner of this world, and the consolation of humanity surrounding us. Use the scarce freedom to make an unknown peculiar smile, contemplate, and relish in the wondrous interconnectedness of this world, even in our deepest of intrinsic solitude.
