I met a Beautiful Stranger at breakfast...

Why is it that whenever I go out — anywhere — the supermarket, a clothing store, a baseball game, on the subway, on an airplane, in the ladies room — basically just about anywhere, I have the urge to strike up a random conversation with a stranger? Apparently I'm just a natural curator of connections and conversations!!

Each time you say hello to a stranger, your heart acknowledges over and over again that we are all family.” ― Suzy Kassem

I am always intrigued by the way a person just stands there. She looks around or types on her smartphone (I peak to see if she’s texting or playing a game). She leans on one leg and lets out a sigh. She glances at you and you even make eye contact! There might be children in tow; this is an added bonus because you will hear her speak. By “listening” to these cues, I seem to know if and when I should say something. 

I don't know this person from a hole in the wall, but I find myself attracted to the essence of them….the HUMAN BEING HUMAN.

I am curious to actually want to learn more about a person. If you never ask, you will never know.

I believe that there are no coincidences in life. A person that wanders in and out of your life was there for some purpose. 

And do I care? Yes, I do. 

Oh, and don’t get me started on flying. How many times have you sat next to someone for hours and don’t even know his name? You just shared your life story, right? And then you never see them again!! I have made it a point to first introduce myself, then talk. I have met good, smart people on planes and trains, many of whom I am still in touch with today. I was actually very grateful to have sat with Rose, an 80 year old sculpture designer and Dan, a businessman, on a long flight from France last year. Rose was the most entertaining 80 year old I have ever met and we actually became friends and stay in touch. Rose revealed her deepest secrets (I won’t say what celebrities she slept with). Go figure!! It was the fastest 8 hour flight ever!

And when it happens to you, it is magical. I was eating breakfast (see above photo) alone my last day in Nice. A woman recognized me from the presentation I gave the day before at a conference and she started talking to me about the conference. Leonie (see above) is a lovely woman from South Africa; I invited her to sit with me and we sat for about a half hour. I didn't want her to leave!! Since we were both alone, we exchanged numbers and arranged to meet up that evening in Old Town for dinner. We had the best time that day. We spoke for hours like we knew each other for years. Shared chocolates, wine, and good conversation. She made my last day in Nice so memorable. I miss Leonie, but we do stay in touch.

And that is how I met a beautiful stranger.

My husband thinks I am crazy that I talk to strangers. If I calculated the amount of time that I have delayed us (his words not mine) from doing something else…I would guess that it would be around 30 days. This was not time wasted. This was time well spent. 

Try this sometime. And if you don’t know me — just feel free to ask me anything. 

Christina (her friends call her Tina), is a Curious. Passionate. Strategic. Insights Executive -- a Curator of Connections and Conversations. Her philosophy is to lead through example through the illustration of insights from the outside...in. She also shares thought-leadership perspectives in payments and customer segments and through social media. In her spare time, Tina volunteers for the Boy Scouts of America and is training for her next road race.

Other entertaining LinkedIn posts -- "Don't Forget to Flush the Toilet", "Don't Forget to Look Next to You", "Really? Not another #selfie!", and "What's My Next Adventure? You decide..."