The Smiles of Strangers

In recent months, on several occasions, complete strangers (of both sexes and of varying ages) have, out of the blue, smiled kindly at me, for no apparent reason. And some even initiated conversations, that turned out to be pleasant, if all too brief.

But what happened a short while ago in Hamilton, Ontario, takes the cake.

While stopped at a traffic light, I noticed the driver of the car in the lane to my left motioning me to roll down my window. Wondering if one of my brake lights was out, or if he needed directions, I complied.

“Are you from America?” the gentleman asked.

He must have noticed my tags (license plates) as he had been driving behind me till the intersection.

“Yes,” I responded warily, wondering why he was asking me this.

On hearing my reply, he smiled broadly. “Me too. I am Indian. American Indian. Navajo. Just moved here from the States. We can move anywhere we like – America, Canada …”

As we smiled pleasantly and made small talk, it felt as if we had known each other for ages . Then the lights changed. We wished each other well and waved our goodbyes. He turned left, and I went straight.

All this must have taken less than half a minute. As I drove on, I kicked myself for not suggesting a cup of coffee at the nearest Tim Hortons.

We had not exchanged contact information or even first names. There was not time enough for any of that.

But those fleeting moments were sufficient for a cosmic fellowship, the glow of which I still feel, hours later.

My salute to the unknown Navajo wayfarer and his tribesmen at Navajo Nation!