23 May I Met Someone Today

Take time to connect offline in these online times of fake

Written by Daniela Cavalletti

If you believe Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn we are all gloriously successful people who have adorable kids, homes or pets. We’re raking in the deals / moolah / medals / awards, and are going on fabulous holidays. Looks like we’re generally living truly charmed lives.

And while life is certainly full of many of those and other joys, it’s no secret that social media channels (including blogs) generally only show us the pretty side of life.

As business owners we want to seem successful. As people we want to be liked and popular.

But life – let’s face it – can be or at least feel absolutely shit at times.

I’ve Had One of Those Days Today

Moving house and office. A major health scare hanging over the family for months. Catching a cold while being up to my eyebrows in boxes packed and waiting-to-be-packed (we’re moving in less than 48 hours … waaah!). The excitement of landing a fantastic new client – but having to work my backside off to get the gig sewn up before they cut off my internet connection for the move.

Me running on far too little sleep.

Something broke the camel’s back this morning. A huge wave of overwhelm and defeat washed over me, and I was ready to drown.

The Kindness of Strangers

I went to the park for a walk, but it soon was clear that I was too upset to really see the beauty around me and appreciate it. It all seemed so hard, even walking. So I sat down on a bench under one of ‘my’ trees and wept. Quietly. Away from the main path. I went unnoticed.

Until a guy who seemed to drag around a cloud of weariness himself walked past, stopped, and asked me whether I was ok.

“I’m alright, yeah… thanks,” I replied automatically. A bit ashamed perhaps, but also not wanting to burden a stranger with my problems.

I Nearly Missed a Very Special Moment

He started to walk on, but then turned around and asked me something. I could not hear him over the noise of an overhead airplane. So I asked him to repeat his question.

“Do you know anyone who can help with housing around here?” is what he said. He’d come down from up north to Sydney and went on to live in shared housing. The ‘decent stuff’ he’d had had mostly been nicked, he explained, and he regretted living there.

He was afraid of becoming homeless.

Meet Me at the Wayside

We had a chat about life and how it can suck big-time sometimes. “I know life’s supposed to be difficult,” he said, “but not like that. I don’t think I can survive living on the streets.”

I told him to start at ‘Wayside’, and how they help without judging. I love that place and its indefatigable rebel-reverend Jon Owen. They have no promises of miracles. But they see their visitors not as problems to be solved – but people to be met.

I Met Someone Today. And I Mean Actually Met.

We both were aware of the unusual situation: two strangers stopping to care and listen. He kept excusing himself, making ready to leave, so that I would not think him a creep. Far from feeling that, I told him that his kindness had touched me deeply and made my day.

We’d shared a moment. A true human connection. We met.

Finally, we said goodbye after exchanging names. He walked away from the bench I was sitting on. We both turned and waved after a moment, recognising that something rare and special had happened.

I Left That Conversation Changed

It opened my eyes to what’s important when I was too wound up to remember: connection, being present with another. Wanting nothing of the other. Just being there. It felt good to be seen and simply ‘been with’ in one of my less-glorious moments.

I hope someone else will show you the same kindness that you showed me today, my friend.

Thank you for meeting me.