Stranger

While locked away in a room with a complete stranger, she began to pour out her troubles and anxieties over the past 30 years to me. It wasn't something I had expected. As I had already known, people carry their concerns and struggles everyday yet put concealer over their problems to mask blemishes on the flawed areas. For over an hour, she poured out everything that was bothering her. I began to question, if given the chance to pour out everything we're going through to a complete stranger that you'll never see again, would you do it?

Having someone to listen is underrated. A good listener that is trustworthy is hard to find. At times you wonder should you have said anything in fear it'll be told to someone else as soon as they depart from you. Trusting very few since a young age, I began to write in a notebook. I'd write about my feelings, tear it out of the book and then burn or cause water damage to it. I didn't want the world to know my inner thoughts. I wasn't ready to be vulnerable.

It may sound weird, but these days, I pour my heart out in the shower when I'm praying. Though no one can see or hear my tears, I feel that it's my place of vulnerability as I pray. I'm sure I could stay there for hours. The beaming water drowns out the tears. When finished I'm left with the residue of puffy eyes, yet my problems have washed down the drain.

One of the places that people tend to share their life stories is the airport.  Shortly after the seat belt light goes off, people begin to engage in conversation. Often, I've heard people brag about their children's careers, family history, and begin to name every place they've been on vacation. I'm not sure if they are talkative or if they rarely have someone at home to listen to them. I will not lie, it irritates me after 30mins when they begin to talk loudly nonstop. I've learned to avoid eye contact in efforts for others not to speak to me. Yet, it never really works. That's my cue to pretend going to sleep.

Again, the question remains, would you tell a complete stranger you'd probably never see again your fears and dreams? For me, this is the closest it gets.