RobArt Penguin

Daily writing prompt

Describe a random encounter with a stranger that stuck out positively to you.

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I grew up and worked in the Chicago suburbs. Occasionally, work took me downtown. In the city center, the loop, there are a number of homeless people, war veterans and others who seek help from passersby. Some of these people were a regular occurrence, meaning I would see them every time I was in the area. One time, I was walking back from the Federal Building to the train. It’s about a ten block walk. Up ahead, there was a tall man, over six feet, he wore a dark rain coat, had dark curly hair and was grimy in appearance. He had a huge smile on his face. He meandered through the crowd searching for people to acknowledge him. Because encounters like this were common downtown, most people learned to ignore everyone that made them uncomfortable and they walk by him like he did not exist. He was in my path. When I reached him our eyes met. He stuck out his hand in an inviting way and we shook hands. Then he said “there’s one.” A woman had returned his gaze and she took his hand too. He called out again, “there’s one.” The woman and I looked at each other and smiled, like we shared something no one else did, acknowledging a lonely man seeking to be seen.