There is an estimated 7.4 billion people currently living on Earth. Every person is a unique human, comprised of many different talents, traits, knowledge, love, and dreams. Every person has faced or will face their own struggles, accomplishments, doubts, and successes. Every person is worth giving a smile and an innocent wave to.

Unfortunately, it is almost impossible with only 365 (or 366) days in the year for one person to cover seven continents and go to each of the 196 countries to meet each of the citizens. Although, it is a great aspiration of mine to meet as many people as I can and experience their wonder, I know that I have my limits.

In an effort to help the world get to know each other, I want to write about the people that make my life a little more interesting, and a little bit more fun. These are the people that provide either kindness, creativity, simplicity, complexity, or all of the above.

I shall begin with the latte man.

The man comes about three times a week to the coffee shop to order his regular drink, the latte. Hence, I’ve given him the name latte man. All of the baristas on the morning shifts know him as this too, he has become one of the regular customers.

He walks in fashioning his plaid hat and fall jacket. The order is always the same, “I’ll have just a latte.” He has his money ready and waits patiently for his coffee drink. Then he simply grabs his coffee, lends us a smile, and is on his way.

That is the extent of our friendship to the latte man.

But the latte man is not simply a latte man, he is much more than that. He is a father, a professor, a friend, an adviser. I feel quite silly now for only calling him the latte man.

My point of the latte man is so that people may wonder more about the daily interactions they have. They are with not only just people, but with dreamers, artists, romantics, and skeptics. The people in your lives, in your days, are full of their own doubts and strengths. They have their battles, and they have their journey. Just like you do.

Every person you meet is a chance to meet another world, it’s another chance to discover a whole new look on the world.

This is vice versa because it is the same when people meet you. When people meet you, let them feel curious and amazement. Let them know that you can juggle, you can dance, you can dream. Let them know that you are so much more than what you seem.

Although we may not all have a regular customer that we appreciate, we all have opportunities to meet just one more person on this giant Earth. We all have 7.4 billion chances to extend our hands, and say hello.