A few weeks ago, I entered a plane with a rare circumstance: a flight that was not completely sold out. I walked down the middle row and found a row with an open aisle seat.
The seat next to me was empty, but an older man sat two seats to my left by the window. He wore a Vietnam veteran cap, carried a flip phone, but his most notable feature was a sense of gratitude and respect for others that seems somewhat uncommon today.
Midway through the flight, he spilled some of the red wine he had ordered, with some of it landing on him. Many of us would consider this a great annoyance; yet, he seemed to mind little, only thankful for the help he was given.
We talked for a little bit, about his experiences in Vietnam, about the differences in our generations. We said goodbye at the end of the flight, and he left to greet his daughter, who lives where I was traveling.
We can see experiences like these as completely insignificant; the point of my journey was to get to my destination, and my encounter with this man happened to occur along the way. But, another way to see this experience: what an opportunity!
If we go through life ignoring these chances for encounters, simply getting on the plane and saying nothing to the person next to us, we will miss so much. We miss a chance to learn about another person, a chance to learn about an experience different than ours.
These small encounters help to build a rich life filled with not only the large memories that define us – such as our greatest successes and failures, our loves, our milestone life moments – but smaller ones adding flavor and complexity, becoming memories with great significance in their own way. Though seemingly minute, they bring us a smile and warm feelings.
If there’s one suggestion I have for a New Year’s Resolution, it would be to not ignore these opportunities. The friend we are texting can wait a couple more minutes to receive a response; the person sitting right next to you can be a much more fulfilling chance. Talk to the random person who you sit next to in biology; ask how the person you always see in the coffee shop is doing. This life change is much easier than many typical resolutions, but can have extremely significant consequences. You’ll never know who you’ll meet along the way.