The Stranger I Never Met

Something really strange happened the other day. In fact it was something awful. At the time I didn't feel to write about it, but an idea has been forming in my canine brain.

Have you ever stopped to think about what happened to all the strangers you never met today? The people that could have touched your lives, but didn't. Often we meet people we never could have guessed we would. Here at the hostel of course I meet new people every single day, the vast majority of which I would never have met were I not here at the hostel. Some of these chanced meetings could lead to life long friendships, true love or simply remain amazing memories. When we meet people like this we sometimes think of fate or destiny. But what about those people that should have come to the hostel, but then for whatever reason, didn't. What happened to them, why didn't they come? Were we destined never to meet after all?

At the hostel I know that I should have met these people, thanks to the handy reservations list we have! But lets say I'm out for a walk. I meet a guy with a shopping bag meandering up the road. Then two little old ladies out for their evening stroll stop to tell me how beautiful I am. Then I see a group of Chinese girls running across the road. Another man comes jogging past me. A young couple holding hands don't see me because they're too engrossed in each other to notice the world. A girl who stops to chat because her new Boxer puppy arrives at his new home tomorrow, what a coincidence!

I met all these people because they happened to be walking along the same road as I, at the same time. But I will most likely never know who else planned to have been walking that road too, and for some reason they didn't arrive. Were they just late? Did they choose a different road at the last minute? Or did they get lost? Perhaps they got sick, or worse? Maybe they met a long lost friend and got chatting about the good old days? The reasons, as well as the people, I may never know.

So to all the strangers I never met, but should have; take care of yourselves, because it only takes a second to change the world. And not always for the better.