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quietpill

quietpill

I'm bleeding, I'm not just making conversation.
Nov 27, 2024
37
When I was 18 years old, fresh into my retail career, a middle aged white woman stepped into my check-out line. She was wearing a Pilates/yoga outfit, and had neat, chin-length bobbed brown-blond hair. I remember he so well because we had a dead silent interaction until the end when her hand cramped. She sighed, looked me in the eyes, and said: "I thought I did everything right." Just like that, irreverently she continued: "You know, I've spent my whole life watching my health, exercising, drinking GREEN smoothies, the ones that are good for you! And yet, my body is still falling apart, no matter what I do." If I had to guess, she was mid to late thirties, maybe early forties. After admitting it, she looked down at her cramped had and flexed it out playfully at me, spreading her fingers wide like a bird wing before she laughed. And she smiled at me, and she said: "I made it ten years longer than my mother when her body gave out, at least!" And she seemed so pleased at herself for being funny. It was funny. I laughed and I've never forgotten her since.

She's preserved in my mind, her perspective one I'm turning over even now, seven years later.

Another time, my customer was an elderly black man on a bicycle. He had what looked like a suede suit on, complete with a fancy hat. It's hard to know for sure though because the memorable part was that every inch of the suit, from his hat to the cuffs of his jacket and pants, were covered in lines of soda tabs strung back-to-back like clappers. I cannot understate that it was every inch, there were thousands upon THOUSANDS. We didn't make more than typical small talk, all he came in for was a coke and he was incredibly pleasant with a very content smile despite riding that suede chain mail through Phoenix, Arizona in the dead of summer. When he left and got on his bike to go, he sounded and looked like the closest approximation of a knight in shining armor I've seen to this day.

Last, was a greasy, grungy, emaciated man who had a history (and, frankly, the smell) of substance abuse and survival all over him. The sort who could've been anywhere between 25 and 40 years old, easily. He stopped me in my tracks, the only other person walking on the road at 4am, and I remember so well because he scared me. He'd been heading the complete opposite direction, brushed by me, and did a 180 that I knew was meant for me. I froze up, expecting to have the worst night of my life, when he asked for directions to the exact intersection I was walking towards and working at. I kept calm, even as he took it upon himself to start walking next to me. To his credit he asked, and it was the direction he needed to go, but I wasn't going to run the risk of saying "no". I think he sensed my awkwardness anyways, because he began talking to me about how he just had a stint in jail, again (This was not so reassuring in the moment). Then, for the rest of our fifteen minute talk, he told me about his mother that he was walking to see. I felt I learned a great deal more about her than him, but I really only remember the endearing affection in his tone and smile. All he did was thank me for the directions after walking me to my gas station, and offer me a cigarette I kindly declined. He's still someone I think about when wondering if I should give a stranger the benefit of the doubt.

It's probably all just long-winded and cheesy, romanticized to hell, but I talk about these people (and to their mental apparitions) more than my own family, as silly as that may seem. They haunt me like ghosts, and what's worse is that they're terribly good company. Does anybody else have any memorable encounters? I'd love to hear stories, if only to know I'm not the only one etching strangers into my mind like stone.
 
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SufferingNSilence

SufferingNSilence

Member
Sep 14, 2024
21
Tbh, I feel like there's gotta be some stories buried in this brain of mine "somewhere"!...buuut, I'm in SUPER STRESSED mode for the most part rn. [sigh].
I read somewhere how stress affects memory and I've most certainly personally noticed my memory DOES have lapses when I'm stressing. Whether I just can't place the right word in a sentence...or remembering long-term/short-term memories as I norm would. My sisters and I have talked about this and they agree that its "a thing" that happens to them too with stress.


.....So!..w/that^^^ being said, I'll have to get back to ya on this one Buddy! Although, I do want to say your stories about those 'rando folks' was a rather interesting read! :-)
 
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Alexei_Kirillov

Alexei_Kirillov

Waiting for my next window of opportunity
Mar 9, 2024
1,056
One late night, I was walking around the park nearby my house, and I stopped to look at the ducks in the pond. An older man approached and jokingly asked if I spoke the language of the ducks. We got to talking and walked around the park together. At the end, he told me that I had a lovely energy and that I gave him hope for the younger generation. It was one of the nicest, most impactful things anyone has ever said to me.
 
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Scythe

Lost in a delusion
Sep 5, 2022
549
That soda tabs guy sound so cool, can't inagine how long that would've taken to make.

I remember most people that strike up a conversation with me on the public transit one of them apperantly done axe throwing lessons and smth combat related. Another one was just rlly cool to talk to.

I was also on the subway with someone having an episode, he was clearly a part of lgbtq and didn't seem a horrible person? Just horrendous mental health. He probably felt like a psycho to most other ppl watching since he was ranting on and on, also messing with his clothes in suggestive ways. He had a somewhat matchy outfit despite it looking dirty ot worn out? I don't really remember, I just remember it felt like some kind of effort was put behind appearances.

I've also overheard a conversation between two trans women talking about their plans for transition on the bus. I was surprised they are willing to talk about it in public. I wish I had the social skills to say something, wish them luck or just introduce myself as a trans individual.

I also recall a lady once gave me a rose out of nowhere, I don't know why, but it was nice!

The last one I have in mind isn't a one time encounter, it's someone I kept seeing in a game I played. They mained the same character as me and I believe started at around the same time as me? But I can't be sure. I never talked to them outside of the game, I wish I have the chance.
 
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Warlord's Pulse

Warlord's Pulse

Time to end this endless war
May 27, 2024
202
I have my fair shares of interesting histories with strangers, when/if I recall the details I can back to this topic

Most of them being with uber drivers lol
 
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Forever Sleep

Earned it we have...
May 4, 2022
10,069
You write beautufully OP, with such reverence for people.

I've had many brief or prolongued encounters with people I have gone on to remember. My God Father used to call it sharing a 'moment'.

Maybe the weirdest was a chance encounter in a music hall. I'd been out present shopping for a friend and I was looking at what I'd bought. A guy walked past in a long coat and happened to see it and comment on it. He was kind of maverick looking. He had cool sunglasses, a shaved head and he carried an antique style pocket watch.

Then, he sat down to chat. We talked for hours. He was leaving the next morning for Canada. On the one hand, he was quite a romantic. He asked me if I thought it was possible for people to fall in love at first sight and he said, when planes crash, they often find letters left for loved ones and- that he would leave me a letter. He was also a complete player though. He was going to Canada after a woman he'd known. It was nice though mostly. We talked about all sorts. I even told him I had had ideation since childhood. He got progressively drunk! He even bought me a book from a shop inside the centre. Eventually, he asked to kiss me. I thought it would be kind of rude to say no. It was my one and only kiss with a guy. He left me his number but, I never called him. I started to get a bit nervous on where things were going as he got more drunk! We walked hand in hand across a bridge to catch our separate trains in the end. That was kind of nice. That was my most profound encounter.

There've been plenty of people who have left an impression on me. Mostly good- thankfully.
 
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quietpill

quietpill

I'm bleeding, I'm not just making conversation.
Nov 27, 2024
37
I have my fair shares of interesting histories with strangers, when/if I recall the details I can back to this topic

Most of them being with uber drivers lol
Heheh, Uber drivers are such a mixed bag too! I once had an elderly man driving me go into extensive history on how Filipino military forces had a heavy hand in training the US military on how to properly parachute jump from planes during WW2, it was actually so interesting!
You write beautufully OP, with such reverence for people.

I've had many brief or prolongued encounters with people I have gone on to remember. My God Father used to call it sharing a 'moment'.

Maybe the weirdest was a chance encounter in a music hall. I'd been out present shopping for a friend and I was looking at what I'd bought. A guy walked past in a long coat and happened to see it and comment on it. He was kind of maverick looking. He had cool sunglasses, a shaved head and he carried an antique style pocket watch.

Then, he sat down to chat. We talked for hours. He was leaving the next morning for Canada. On the one hand, he was quite a romantic. He asked me if I thought it was possible for people to fall in love at first sight and he said, when planes crash, they often find letters left for loved ones and- that he would leave me a letter. He was also a complete player though. He was going to Canada after a woman he'd known. It was nice though mostly. We talked about all sorts. I even told him I had had ideation since childhood. He got progressively drunk! He even bought me a book from a shop inside the centre. Eventually, he asked to kiss me. I thought it would be kind of rude to say no. It was my one and only kiss with a guy. He left me his number but, I never called him. I started to get a bit nervous on where things were going as he got more drunk! We walked hand in hand across a bridge to catch our separate trains in the end. That was kind of nice. That was my most profound encounter.

There've been plenty of people who have left an impression on me. Mostly good- thankfully.
What an interesting experience! It's so rare to connect randomly, very meet-cute. It reminds me of the movie Before Sunset (1995), heheh. I don't blame you for not calling back though! Thank you for your compliment on my writing and sharing your own moment too ♥️
 
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SufferingNSilence

SufferingNSilence

Member
Sep 14, 2024
21
That soda tabs guy sound so cool, can't inagine how long that would've taken to make.

I remember most people that strike up a conversation with me on the public transit one of them apperantly done axe throwing lessons and smth combat related. Another one was just rlly cool to talk to.

I was also on the subway with someone having an episode, he was clearly a part of lgbtq and didn't seem a horrible person? Just horrendous mental health. He probably felt like a psycho to most other ppl watching since he was ranting on and on, also messing with his clothes in suggestive ways. He had a somewhat matchy outfit despite it looking dirty ot worn out? I don't really remember, I just remember it felt like some kind of effort was put behind appearances.

I've also overheard a conversation between two trans women talking about their plans for transition on the bus. I was surprised they are willing to talk about it in public. I wish I had the social skills to say something, wish them luck or just introduce myself as a trans individual.

I also recall a lady once gave me a rose out of nowhere, I don't know why, but it was nice!

The last one I have in mind isn't a one time encounter, it's someone I kept seeing in a game I played. They mained the same character as me and I believe started at around the same time as me? But I can't be sure. I never talked to them outside of the game, I wish I have the chance.
May I ask was the lady that gave you a rose in the state of Maryland by chance? I know this could happen anywhere. I am only curious bc one of my sisters has a habit of giving rose's to people as a kind gesture....so it makes me wonder🤔☺️..
 
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TheHolySword

TheHolySword

empty heart
Nov 22, 2024
450
I definitely have some and I've told countless stories about them but suddenly now that I'm reading this question my mind is blank. But I'll talk about two from when I worked at Dairy Queen that aren't completely random people, but I'll never forget them.

I used to work at a Dairy Queen. Working in retail or fast food you inevitably meet your regulars and some are good, some are bad, some you just don't really remember somehow. The first one I'll talk about was an old man who came in every day with his wife at the same time and ordered the same meal the exact same way. We called him "Norm" and he always thought that was so funny. Never learned his real name. I only worked there for a year but I learned pretty quickly that Norm actually did come in every single day. His order was the following: plain hot dog, side of chili, fries, small coke, small sundae. Every day at noon. We all loved him. He wasn't very talkative all the time, some days you got a story or a joke and other days all you got was good morning and thank you. Except one day he didn't come in. And the next. And we realized he wasn't going to come back in. A few weeks passed and his wife came in and ordered the usual. No one said a word about it. I think she was happy to have the familiarity. She didn't come in every day but it was at least once a week. I'll never forget them.

The second was also a regular from when I worked at Dairy Queen. Admittedly this was my favorite customer. He was Hungarian and spoke very limited English as well as being hard of hearing so not everyone liked to serve him. But I quickly found out that while he struggled to speak English, he read it perfectly. So I had no issues writing everything down I needed to say. He was always so excited to see me on the days that I worked. He would walk in and happily yell something in his native language and ask me how I was doing. He would always say "you are destined for more than ice cream" which always made me laugh. He was one of those people that made working shit jobs worth it.
 
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quietpill

quietpill

I'm bleeding, I'm not just making conversation.
Nov 27, 2024
37
He would always say "you are destined for more than ice cream" which always made me laugh. He was one of those people that made working shit jobs worth it.
This sounds so sweet, I could blush! Thank you so much for sharing your experiences. They seemed like wonderful regulars ♥️
 
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S

Scythe

Lost in a delusion
Sep 5, 2022
549
May I ask was the lady that gave you a rose in the state of Maryland by chance? I know this could happen anywhere. I am only curious bc one of my sisters has a habit of giving rose's to people as a kind gesture....so it makes me wonder🤔☺️..
Nope, no where close to that, your sister sounds like a great person though.
 
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C

CogitoMori

Student
Oct 21, 2024
172
My old boss was the only person that ever made me feel like a human. He was the only person that ever defended me when he didn't think I could hear or understand him. I don't know what I did but he hates me now. I was hanging on with the hope he'd talk to me again, or at least tell me what's wrong with me, but there's no hope left.
 

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