Always Talk With Strangers

It was so indoctrinated in me from childhood "don't talk to strangers" that I still have to force myself into conversation with outlanders while I am on the road.

An encounter in Canada bought home just how much I miss out on when I don't engage with the magnificent souls who walk this earth.

Getting on the Ferry at Horseshoe Bay BC

Now I am not condoning a chat with a shady character in a dark alley or asking you to break into conversation with anyone who gives you a bad vibe.  But it's my belief that there is a lot more good people than bad in this world and we shouldn't let our fear overwhelm us and lock out experiences with awesome people.

I was coming back to the mainland after spending five lovely weeks in Sechelt, a holiday destination on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. Already I had encountered one horror cab driver who seemed to be living in his own reality, most certainly not in mine. So I felt blessed that I had made the ferry terminal in one piece, after living through a real life episode of the keystone cops with the cab driver. You know you are in trouble when you are sitting in the back of a cab shouting "follow that bus!"

Its a spectacular ferry ride

By some miracle I made it to the ferry terminal ON the bus, but my luggage was heavy and I had too much of it and I was already feeling harrowed.

The walk down to the ferry was a LONG haul and I knew from the journey in that I still had a LONG way to drag those three suitcases onto the boat.

A human in discomfort will do just about anything to get out of it!

So what did the damsel in distress do?  I sought out the first knight in shining armor I could eyeball.

This happened to be a well dressed, trendy looking young man, who had just arrived at the "get on barrier".

I had my line ready, and out it came.

"I'll give you ten dollars if you roll this suitcase on board for me - it's not heavy, I just don't have enough hands".

Good grief, if my mother could have heard that!

A little taken a back, he agreed to the task but wouldn't take the cash.

He was generous enough to just want to be of service and he did duly get me on board and seated.  He also offered to come back and help me off at the other end.

Sure enough he did.

Turns out he was also going on the same bus into downtown Vancouver and as he helped me on board the bus, a drumstick fell out of his bag and clattered down the aisle.

What's the chances?

I had chosen the one person out of several hundred on board the ferry that day who I could have a slightly intelligent conversation with.

So it was time to take the coach approach and ask a question.  I asked the first one that came into my head.

"So, are you some famous rock and roll band drummer I should recognize?"

I figured I was pretty safe because I knew he probably wouldn't be riding the bus if he was, but he took it as a compliment that I thought he could be.

It's a long time since I have played in a rock n roll band, but that DNA never dies and very quickly he was telling me his dreams of playing professionally. In fact he had an audition to go to that week, hence why he had his practice sticks with him.

But I knew there was something more because he was a little too well dressed for your standard rock drummer, so I got more questions rolling.  Sure enough, he was studying archeology, hence why he was spending so much time in South Africa.   He had mentioned several trips there in a previous conversation and I figured he had a beau there, but no, he worked at a "dig".  He was the guy that cataloged everything the diggers found.

WOW - this was your not so classic "digs and gigs" guy!   I might not have been on the bus with Nirvana's drummer but I was with a real life Indiana Jones! 

I was very moved when he commented that he felt very humbled to be the very first person to handle and catalog these precious artifacts after fate had placed them in that spot all those centuries ago. He described the amazing energy they carried.  I was able to share my theory that it was probably him in another incarnation that put them there in the first place. For an academic, he was surprisingly ok with my "out there" totally unsubstantiated theory.  You could tell he was deeply connected with his work, not just at "books" level, but also at a very deep heart level as well.

We then went onto a discussion on all the great bands his parents had dragged him along to see when he was little and they were living in England.  All my favs - Queen, Rolling Stones, in fact there was a strong chance we had both been in the crowd for the Stones at Wembley, if only I could remember the year.

It amazes me how in even the most unlikely situations likes will attract.

All too soon he had to get off at his stop, but he made sure I knew where I was getting off and bade me farewell. I thanked those gawd awful heavy suitcases, because without them, I wouldn't have had my life enriched by this encounter with a total stranger, whose name I forgot to ask.

Then, it was time to get those dam suitcases off the bus!