Hello, stranger.
“So, what do you do?”

Well, Sue… I kind of get to do what I want.
Not have to — get to.

I get to help families find a place to land, a rental that feels like home.
I get to ride my bike when the road calls.
I get to volunteer when something pulls at my heart.
And most of all, I get to meet people I never would have crossed paths with otherwise.

Today I got to volunteer with Compassion International and met Sue, Diane, and Debbie — three women who felt familiar within minutes, the way good people sometimes do.

I also met a 23-year-old named Salem and another young guy from Louisville, Alex. Salem carried gratitude in everything he said, constantly thanking people, making sure we knew he appreciated the help. Alex did something just as quietly kind — he called everyone by their name, carefully, intentionally, like he didn’t want to forget who we were. Maybe he was just being polite. Or maybe he was practicing for some future where remembering people matters even more.

It was refreshing. Two young adults showing respect, gratitude, and presence in a way that felt genuine. Maybe that’s the lesson from today: we never really know how many breaths we get. And if my last one ever carries a word, I’d be okay if it were simply thank you.
So thank you, Salem and Alex, for reminding me what that looks like in real time.

At one point I turned left instead of right, and that small decision led to another conversation — a woman from Wisconsin sharing the story behind handmade yarn bracelets crafted by families in the Philippines. The profits help sustain those families, and the bracelets can even support mission trips through simple fundraising. A quiet ripple of good, traveling farther than the yarn itself.

Later, I spent twenty minutes talking with a woman from Springfield, Missouri at a coffee booth. She was one of those easy conversationalists who makes time disappear. Her husband rides mountain bikes, so naturally we traded stories — the fun ones, the painful ones, the kind cyclists seem to collect like badges.

The best conversations aren’t the ones that lead to phone numbers or follow-ups. They’re the ones where both people walk away feeling a little lighter, a little more human, just for having shared a few minutes of honesty.

Today there were no exchanged contacts, no grand plans to reconnect. Just volunteering, small talk that wasn’t so small, and the quiet realization that these passing encounters still matter.

Thanks for reading.
And remember — every friend you have was once a stranger.
So go out, turn left once in a while, and volunteer. You never know who you’ll meet.