As I drove crawled home through rush-hour traffic tonight I was lost in thought about all of the people driving to and from on the route that I drive to work each day.
With each person that inched by me in the next lane, I could not help but wonder what that person was like and whether the two of us would have anything in common. Yes, I know this might be a little strange but a 65-mile commute at less than five miles per hour will do that to you.
But think about it – how many people do you breeze right by each and every day that could be a friend if only you actually met one another? How many of those people could have a significant impact on some aspect of your life?
The reality is that you will likely never even see the good majority of these people again let alone become friends with them. If you live in a small area, you may stand slightly better odds but living in an area with millions of people makes it much more unlikely.
Do you believe in destiny?
Some people might say that if you are intended to cross paths with someone and become friends or otherwise have an impact on one another that it will happen. Generally speaking I don’t really buy the theory of destiny but there is something to be said about this because I have had experiences where a chance encounter resulted in what later became a good friendship.
If you do believe in destiny, wouldn’t you think that there is at least one of these unknown people you see each day that could have some degree of impact on your life? What is it that prevents you from crossing paths with that person?
What do you think?
With the number of strangers that you pass each and every day, do you ever wonder if you would be friends with any of them?
While you gather your thoughts, just remember that if you see some strange guy in a Scion tC looking at you oddly as you drive down the interstate, wave because it is probably me wondering whether we have anything in common! 🙂
Thursday Thought :: The Unknown Friend
Stay In The Loop!
Subscribe to the Derek Semmler dot com feed via RSS or Email to receive notifications when new posts are published. Follow the WordPress ninja on Twitter too!
Previous post: ProBlogger Birthday Bash Winner
Next post: Join The Cubs Suck Club
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
I believe in both Synchronicity and the Law of Attraction. We attract into our lives whatever and whomever can create the life we create with our thoughts.
When I finished reading this post, my first thought was “Wow, that was random.”
It was pretty thought provoking though. It might be interesting to roll down your window and start talking to the person in the next vehicle sometime when you’re in a traffic jam like that…although it may be easier to talk to them if you’re on your motorcycle.
lol
Hi! Your post made me think about people passing by us every day and destiny. I do believe in destiny, I do believe that everything happens for a reason, but I wouldn’t talk to people I don’t know. That’s just not me 🙂
Cheers!
There are things that separate us and things that we share with all people. I have no doubt there are millions of potential friends around me on Highway 395 when I drive home . . . but alas, the time! I do need to take more time to make friends on my street and in my 6 degrees.
i am on the lookout for Scions. 😉
I think if we make an effort to those around us we would have many more friends and opportunities. We just have to say HI!
@Rose :: That is a great point and does seem to hold true in many cases.
@Nick :: Yeah, this post was pretty random and kind of from left field so to speak. Traffic usually moves just enough to make talking to someone difficult, although most people do not look interested in talking to anyone. 🙂
@Maria :: I’m the same way in that I will rarely initiate a conversation with someone I don’t know. I’ve been trying to get better about that but that does lend to the idea of destiny as an explanation of how you do meet some of the people that come into your life. Thanks for sharing!
@Damien :: Time and opportunity do make it difficult to connect with the volume of people you encounter on a daily basis – but it just made me wonder how many of those people could potentially become good friends yet I will never see them again. Here is to more friends!
@Jake :: It is amazing how a simple smile and a hello can open the door to meeting new people. It is too easy to be caught up in your own world and not take the time to interact with those around you.
i believe that every person has something to offer that will serve as a lesson to us. like rose says, things like law of attraction are factored in, where we categorize others and weed out who we think we can’t extract value and friendship from. but in reality, you can learn something from everyone you talk to, observe, have an argument with, etc… most likely you will be drawn to others who are open-minded, thoughtful and good-hearted because that’s how you are. i have thoughts like this ALL the time. like, hmm she looks cool, or hmm i wonder if i’d be friends with that guy. i think it just means we’re friendly and seeking to connect and will connect for the right reasons
Thanks for the feedback Danielle!
It doesn’t sound strange to me.
Actually, I myself have wondered those kind of things during my long hours on the road. When I look at people passing by in their cars, it’s like each of us is in our own bubble, our own little world within our cars, completely oblivious (for the most part) to the worlds of the other people in the cars beside us. I’ve sometimes imagined pulling away to a birds eye view and seeing all the little people caught up in their own little worlds, but they’re like little specks in the whole vastness of this world (and I’m not even going into the vastness of the universe, and beyond :P.)