Short Stories

Hey, Stranger/Favorites

Every person you pass by is a stranger's face. The guy who smiled at you behind the counter at the coffee shop? Stranger. The girl with the cute dog that you jogged past? Stranger. The new kid on your bus, or even your next door neighbor? Strangers.

The world is filled with strangers. Some are polite and pick up your textbook when you drop it while you're trying to balance your coffee and all your classwork. Some are rude and give you dirty looks as you pass them on the sidewalk simply because you laughed at a joke. But, not everyone is a stranger. Some strangers seem like they know you, even if they don't. They'll smile at you and give you a look that makes you think, "have I met them before? It seems like it," even if you never have.

To live in a world full of strangers is terrifying, even if you think you know everyone. You may not know her name, but you definitely know the lady who works at the gas station where you pick up your three a.m. cookies. You may not remember him, but the cute barista who doodled flowers on your cup while he was waiting on the espresso machine definitely remembers you. Everyone is a stranger, no matter who.

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You can know someone for years but it doesn't mean you know them. Your best friend since childhood may think he knows you inside and out, but then one day he doesn't remember your favorite flower or remember the day you flirted with a cute girl on the bus. It really doesn't matter how long you know someone - it really depends on how close you are. I could sit here and tell you amazing stories about my best friend for hours but you could ask me his coffee order and I'll draw a blank. I know so many of his secrets and inside jokes. I know part of his work schedule and that his favorite thing to order is takeout Chinese food, but I have no clue if he likes two shots of espresso or if he likes an extra pump of caramel. It all really depends on how close you are.

I think being close enough to order food or coffee for someone is amazing. To be able to walk into a place and immediately think, "Man, I think whats-their-face would love a cup of ice cream," then be able to get their order right is fantastic. But when you can't remember, it leaves a sinking feeling in your gut that just won't leave. It's not like they don't trust you enough, right? You guys have just never talked about it... but maybe you should? If the girl in front of you at Starbucks can order her boyfriend his favorite coffee perfectly, why can't you do the same for your best friend? It's the same thing... isn't it?

To be able to remember all of someone's favorite things is a huge task. If you're able to do that, I applaud you because never in my life have I been able to. I can tell you how much I love my best friend for hours and hours, but to tell you his favorite tv show? No way. I can tell you that he looks positively astonishing in the color red, that his eyes look like gold in the right lighting, or even that he lights up at the mention of ice cream dates and swimming. I can tell you that he likes making really bad jokes and that he gives amazing advice but I can't tell you his favorite ice cream flavor (okay, maybe I can.. it's coffee flavored) or even which type of cake he likes.

But nonetheless, I still can say he's my best friend. I can say I'll love him until the sun dies and I can say that I'm he'll still love me in a few months.. We may not be able to say each other's favorite colors or favorite movies, but as long as we know our names, we can say that we know who each other's favorite person is.