Interactions With Strangers in 2022
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There have been some wild stories out there over the last few years regarding random and sometimes scary behavior from strangers. To be fair, every now and again I’ll read an uplifting tidbit about a superhero good Samaritan who saved a baby hanging from a 10th story window, or a neighbor helping people escape from their burning apartment. Now that life has been picking back up over the last few months, it could be that I’m paying closer attention to my surroundings- more so than before everything was altered in 2020. However, it seems more likely that things in the world have tilted in such a way, that behavior across the board has legitimately changed. I’ve observed caring, rude, and surprising behavior, and found it to be feeding a fascination of sorts.
A Compassionate Car Accident
A few weeks back, my husband and I were in a car accident. It was rare for the two of us to be in the car without our kids, so I was already counting my lucky stars our sons were not in the car. We were also fortunately driving my car, which is bigger than my husband’s tiny hatchback. We were stopped at a light on the way to a surprise party for a friend, and I was turned toward my husband, engaged in conversation. Suddenly, my cheek was a hair from the dashboard and within a fraction of a second, the back of my head smacked against the head rest so hard I was dazed. I glanced at my husband to see if he was alright. He grabbed at his jaw, trying to move it around. I took inventory of the situation like anyone’s adrenaline induced brain does, scanning over his clothes and mine, thankful there was no blood.
The man in front of us that we were pushed into, hopped out of his truck, asked if we were alright, and drove off shortly thereafter. A younger man, walking nearby, jogged over to ask if we were okay as well, we thanked him and waved him on. We went through the whole calling the police thing in a total fog. My husband, who was driving, sat dazed and we both tried to compute what had happened. After staring at each other like zombies for what felt like forever, he got out of the car to see if anyone else was hurt and to talk to the person who hit us.
As it turns out, that person was a senior in high school, and he poured out an in depth apology and explanation to my husband for what had taken place. He…
