People are……

The Doors song tells us “people are strange, when you’re a stranger”. That can certainly be true sometimes, but sometimes people can be kind when you’re a stranger. I’ve certainly met my fair share of kind strangers over the years, and I hope that I sometimes pay that kindness forward to other strangers. It’s not much to do really, is it? After all, to quote another song, “we’re just all lost souls, swimming in a fish bowl”.

In the last few days I’ve met a few kind strangers…… there was the lady who complimented a photo I put on a social media page of Bad Eddie’s shipwreck in Donegal. She thanked me for sharing it and even said she’d pay for a print of it! I explained it was just an iPhone snap and that the weather had been so good it would’ve been impossible to take a bad photo! I private messaged her all the photos I’d taken of this beautiful location. Her response was to tell me she had tears in her eyes at what she classed as my kindness. It was nothing but a few snapshots, but to this stranger it seems it meant a lot. Her response was absolutely wonderful. Heart warming.

Then another kind soul appeared. Hubby and I received a message from a friend to tell us a guy we didn’t know had donated a guitar as a prize for the raffle we run as part of our annual charity music gig for Macmillan Cancer Support. To add to the kindness, our friend is getting it signed by a number of internationally known musicians! Another amazing prize to add to the list. It sounds so fake to say it’s humbling, but I can’t think of a better word to describe the generosity of those who’ve donated prizes….. many of whom have been virtual strangers.

This morning I wasn’t with a stranger and I wasn’t a lost soul or swimming in a fish bowl. I was a contented soul, swimming in a huge ocean, with a dear friend, watching the sunrise. 

The 5am start was more than worth it!! The day continued as it began….. with beauty and peaceful joy. After the sunrise dip, hubby and I went for a drive around the beautiful coastline we are so fortunate to live near. 

People can undoubtedly be strange when you’re a stranger, but they can also be kind and generous and soul warming. 

There are wonderful, life affirming experiences and people out there, we only need to keep our eyes and minds open wide enough to see them.

Living with……