A simple hello could lead to a million things…
I just got back from a very unexpected visit to Colombia (the place I am blessed to call my first home), quite literally I didn’t know I would be traveling up until 5 days before the trip, but the whole unexpected thing is a story for another blog post. because on this writing I am going to walk you through one of the most random but coolest experiences I’ve had.
My flight was booked for March 12th at 5:50 am, so as accustomed I waited to pack my bags till the night before the trip. I don’t know why I do that to myself, somehow, I always resonate that it is a good idea to stay up all night, but when I am at the counter to check in my bag the next day, I reflect on how dumb of an idea that is. Anyway, March 12th came, and I found myself walking through security like a zombie, hoping I’d have enough time to get to my gate and nap before the plane took off. Security went smoothly and as hoped I got to my gate around 4:40, giving me enough time to pass out for a good 40 minutes. Do you remember those days after school when you took a nap and somehow heard a voice from afar calling your name in your dreams? Yeah… it wasn’t a voice in your dreams, it was your mom calling because it was time to do homework. Well, this time for me it wasn’t my mom but a lady at the airport’s microphone saying, “Now we are welcoming all passengers belonging to zone 3… zone 3 is now ready to board, thank you.” I got up, grabbed my bag, and got ready to board. Once on the plane getting to my seat was like stealing candy from a baby. If I remember correctly, I was located at 11 b, making my walk through the aisle short and smooth.
It was about 2 hours and a half into the flight when my neck started hurting, making sleep an impossible mission for my tired self. With nothing else to do, I turned up the volume of my headphones and stared at the seat in front of me. 5 minutes passed when suddenly I saw the girl sitting next to me moving her mouth in what seemed an intent of talking to me. In my mind, I thought she wanted to use the restroom so she was asking me to move, but just to confirm I took off my headphones and said “Sorry I was listening to music… I couldn’t hear you.” To which she replied, “Ohh no worries, I was just asking where are you going.” Now, the question made sense because despite my destination being Colombia, I had a layover in Fort Lauderdale. So, I said Colombia, followed up with a how about to you. By the time the plane landed Zennia and I were glad the passengers didn’t take a poll to throw us out of the plane. Our conversation was so fun that our laughs probably woke up more than a couple of people. During the layover, we had breakfast together, exchanged bills from our countries, and settled that when she came to Houston later this year we would spend time together. Zennia and I don’t talk every day, but it is nice to know that the stranger sitting next to me on the plane now is a friend. All because she dared to step out of her comfort zone and start a conversation with a human she didn’t know.
I wonder how many potential friendships we have missed just because we were too busy on our phones. I mean think about it! Instead of socializing at school we rather watch Netflix in between classes, instead of going out for a walk we rather see others on a screen telling us how good walking is, and instead of interacting with people in the real world we spend our days sending pics on Snapchat to those who aren’t even present. Now, I have a theory of the reason why we are afraid of meeting new people. WE THINK WE WON’T BE ENOUGH, so our mind is attacked by thoughts like; what would they think of me, what if I sound weird, why would they want to know me, and so forth. But here are two truths for ourselves. You are more than enough because the creator of the world made you in his image, and second, the goal is not to be perfect… The goal is to be human. Nothing feels better than talking to a genuine person, there is something about those kinds of people that makes us feel secure. The world doesn’t need the perfect version of you, the world needs the real version of you. The one who struggles, the one who fails, and the one who every now and then feels lost.
It takes courage to step out of our comfort zone and meet new people, but when you realize that you are a person who is worthy of getting to know the whole game changes. Not worthy because of everything that makes you better, but because you understand that in the playground of life, we are all fighting our own battles, and your ability to strive for connection instead of admiration… that’s your superpower.
As always I am honored to be a part of your journey. Meet a stranger today! That stranger may turn out to be your best friend, your future fiancée, or just another person in the list of people that cross our paths but don’t have any relevance. Here is the catch! You won’t know until you meet them. I also want to remind you that if for any reason you feel like you are not a worthy human being God believes otherwise! You are so worthy that he created you according to his image. My goal with this website is to create a community of young people who like me are trying to figure life out, so shoot me an email (you can find it on the newsletter page) I’d love to hear your story. Finally, remember there is a guy named Jesus changing lives left and right… if you don’t know him, get to know him. He will revolutionize your life.