World Without Strangers

The world is full of people and teeming with life, energy and ideas. Yet most of us remain strangers. Let's take your best friend or circle of close friends, many more friends from school, National Service, colleagues, relatives and business associates and go back to the time when you first met. What were you and who were they? Strangers, complete strangers. I am sure you used to use the words "it's a small world" when you met someone related or is a buddy of someone you know.

Gorky Park - Stranger: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvzsEkUGpw0

When you first met someone, he is first of all a complete stranger. Today he or she could be a friend. Had you not taken the initiative to say hello, listen, shake hands or smile, this person will remain a stranger. You would never have known each other. The chance meeting would have been forever buried and gone in a moment. So always take the time to listen no matter how small the issues, to smile, shake hands and say your hellos. Hello, are you still here? Let Giordano show you how?

Giordano

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbxWv5OhfiE


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jMj-PdzgKg


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhvh2tdjUhA

 Even with friends, how are we to know since our last meeting if we will ever meet again? It is just a supposition. We are often so busy because we worked too hard and we do not realize that when something is gone it is gone forever. Time flies they say! Life is ice I say, it melts away.

Second Hand Serenade - Stranger:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tT7lQp-ZnBg

Well, may be some of us are just introverts, shy or MYOB types. Probably we are only comfortable in the presence of friends or people who we know or are familiar with. It is a comfort zone. So people get wary when surrounded with unfamiliar people. Better the devil you know than the devil you don't is the maxim. It it only when you have been helped by total strangers that you would realize what it is like. People who has no reason or motive to assist you. Just as some friends are like angels, strangers could be angels too. They came, they helped and they disappeared - angels in disguise. Please see my previous articles on angels:

http://gforce-guru.blogspot.com/2010/10/do-angels-exist.html

Once a long time ago, when I first owned a car, it broke down at a traffic junction on an uphill slope around 10pm. I have not even known then the parts in the engine compartment. I stood there desperately waving and trying to flag down a car or for anyone who could help. Alas, everybody just drove past without even looking at me including all the big cars. No one wanted to help. Those days we didn't even know about AA or tow truck people and we didn't even have cell phones.

As my hope dissipated and I was about to give up. Along came an "Ah Beng" type Honda Civic and a young Indian man from his motorbike. They both parked next to my stalled vehicle, came over and asked how they could help. Then they told me to get in the car to step on the clutch and to let go of the clutch after a certain distance as they pushed. Both of them without a word, helped push my vehicle uphill, crossed the traffic junction and more until the car got started and before I could get out to thank them, they were off in a jiffy walking all the way back to their car and bike then driving off.

I never knew who they were, don't have their names and never met them again. A friend in need is a friend indeed. They have left an indelible mark in my life and my memory. They would have made my buddy list. I have also learned never to judge a book by its cover and that "I shall pass this way but once. Therefore, any good that I can do or any kindness that I can show, let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again."

Stranger - Hilary Duff:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyShkaAwbR8&ob=av3e

Stranger is just a word to describe someone we do not know, unknown person or persons that we are unaccustomed to. What we do not know, we fear hence fear of the unknown. We do not know what lurks in the dark so we too fear the dark. Many strangers in my life have become great friends. If an enemy becomes your friend you will have one less enemy. When strangers become my friends, I have less strangers and more friends in life. Do not forget that you are also a stranger in the other person's mind, so they are no stranger than that stranger you are. So if everyone were to take a stranger position, that would be strange.

We should say hello, shake hands, introduce ourselves and let the power of friendship takes over. Murphy's law decides here: What can go wrong will go wrong. Just be yourself.

People have hidden feelings and desires that they keep to themselves. Sometimes we may not even be honest with ourselves. Can we then be honest with others?




Billy Joel - The Stranger
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI2BnzF1860

Can we be a world without strangers? If we cannot trust, we cannot find love and joy, don't you agree? We must also learn to trust people just as they are and not what we expect them to be, doing otherwise, when they are not will only leave us disappointed.

I leave you these words from Frank Crane: "You may be deceived if you trust too much, but you will live in torment if you do not trust enough."

Auld Lang Syne, my dear. Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KC_lHBvNdGA

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