Have you ever had a random encounter that you still think about?!

[TeethKicked]

Years ago dh and I were driving through country lanes in deepest darkest Oxfordshire ( insofar as Oxfordshire can ever be deep and dark!) But we didn’t know where we were, and I wouldn’t have the first clue how to get back there again.

A car coming the other way (the only car we’d seen in a while) drew level and stopped. The woman driving it told us she was a registrar and couldn’t find the wedding party and asked if we had seen them.

We apologised and said no, we hadn’t seen anyone at all, and off we all drove. I’ve often wondered:

A) Did she mean that the wedding party were also driving around the lanes of deepest darkest Oxfordshire?

B) Did she mean that she was lost and couldn’t find the wedding venue?

C) Did she mean that the bride, groom and guests hadn’t shown up so she was out hunting them down?!

D) Did she ever find who she was looking for, or was there a bride and groom somewhere waiting and wondering, and did they ever get married?!

All this wondering from a two minute encounter! Anyone else?!

When I was at Uni I had a year at an American college on the East Coast. I was in a class with two guys and I quite liked one of them but we were both ridiculously shy.
One Saturday night I was at a Frat party with some of my friends and we were all quite drunk. The other guy approached me and we started chatting. He was telling me all about his home town and asked me if I’d like to come with him to Southampton the next weekend. I said no because I still thought something might happen with the shy bloke (it didn’t!).
It was only months later, when I was home in the UK, I was watching Sex and the City and they went to the Hamptons for the summer, that I realised he had lived in Southampton in the Hamptons. I could have kicked myself at passing up that opportunity. I often wonder what happened to both of them actually 😆

When ds was born, we were about to leave the hospital, when a midwife approached us, one who I hadn't seen during my stay there, she was so lovely and sincere, she looked at us, then down at Ds and said, cherish every moment, before you know it he'll be starting school, then the next minute leaving school.
We smiled and told her we would then walked on towards the exit where an elderly man was drawing pictures with a biro pen, he stopped us and handed over the picture he had been drawing, in the centre of the picture was a tree, and surrounding the tree were all kinds of animals, it was really well drawn, so much detail! The more you looked, the more you saw, kind of thing. He told us it was for the baby, his first gift in the world and to use it as inspiration when telling him bedtime stories. He was so lovely. He wouldn't accept any money, just told us to love ds, love each other and have a happy life. We put the picture in a frame.

The midwife's words were indeed right, he left school last week.

I was at my friend's 17th birthday party, alone, when I spotted this very sweet looking boy on the other side of the room. He asked me to dance. I was over the moon!

We danced, chatted, and he asked for my number which I gave him. We had a really nice date after that, and I felt we had a good connection. He promised he would ring.

After waiting for months, I had to accept he wasn't going to ring. My friend sort of knew him through a friend of hers and she said "don't worry, he will ring". He never did!

I always wonder why, as we got in really we. Ah well.....

Not so long ago...when I returned to the UK for a holiday I met a guy on the bus to one of the airport hotels and we just got talking.....He was on his way back to Norway where he worked and I was off to my parents. Unfortunately we weren't staying in the same hotel. Do wonder what happened in the next stage of his adventure.

I recall coming back from uni, back in late 80s and had to cross London quite late. I recall seeing a musician on the tube station carrying a cello case - he just looked so cool. Didn’t have the courage to go and speak to him (so strictly not an encounter, but his image lives with me thirty years later).

I went out with a group of women I’d never met before for a night out in town. Merrily chatting away, trying to hide my social awkwardness, and I just really clicked with one of the women. It was a different feeling, I don’t know whether it was attraction or not I can’t really describe it. I’m straight but had never felt like that with someone before or since. I often wonder where she is and what she’s up to!

I was heavily pregnant at the time so I think that made me feel more protective and emotional, but I was standing in a queue in a pharmacy that was taking ages. There was a boy who looked about 8-9 wandering around, he looked up at me and gave me the biggest smile, he had such a lovely kind face. There was a woman in front of me holding a baby that was getting fractious and the boy went over and started pulling silly faces at the baby and make them giggle. I thought how lovely that was of him.
Whilst waiting for my prescription I heard the lady the boy was with telling the pharmacist that she wasn't his parent he was a looked after child.
Of course his situation could have been anything, but I remember hoping so much that he was happy and had a family that loved him.

About 6 years ago someone on a local Facebook page asked for recommendations for a specialised service. I had taken my son to one two days earlier and posted saying we’d received brilliant service.

Years later I was at a local event and I was introduced to a woman who had apparently wanted to meet me “for years”. She was the one I had mentioned in the recommendation although I had no way of knowing she was a local, the service was on the other side of the city. Anyway, she was actually made redundant that day and had been feeling very upset and told me that my comment gave her a huge boost and she’d always remembered. When someone mentioned my name she asked to be introduced. I just felt so happy that I could do something for someone that to me was so small yet for her had a significant impact.

My ex and I were out walking our puppy in the local park. Puppy was about 5 months old, very friendly, was always jumping all over everyone and trying to follow random strangers and other dogs. We could never let him off the lead because he'd run off with anyone.
An elderly man approached us and the dog stood stock still on the path growling and snarling. Ex and I were stunned, we had never seen this type of behaviour from him before. All of a sudden this switched to the puppy whimpering and hiding behind our legs. The man nodded at us as he passed, there didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary about him but I often wonder if the dog could sense something about him. It was the only time I ever saw him behave like that.

aw, lovely thread.

I have two.

My pal and I once met these random three irish ladies in a bar, they were sisters, and in Scotland for a holiday. I think we met because one of them was struggling to understand the cocktail menu and I helped her. We had a great night together and I'm still friends with them on FB.

The other one was when I was an au pair and the only English speaker in the town. My friends came over for a visit and we were walking to the pool when we bumped into an American man busking - there was a long story about him ending up there but ultimately he was stranded for a wee while. We invited him out with us that night and what a great night we had.

Standing in a long queue in a fish and chip shop in Dolgellau, at 14 I fell for a girl of a similar age standing with her family, also on holiday. We exchanged glances, which became longer looks and before we could start to read questions. As the queue moved round and we became visibly detached, our eyes met again through the metallic strip running along the top of the counter. It was the perfect height and through this improvised mirror, we continued to find each other. It was this chance meeting that I remember as one of those steps of breaking into independence. I always wonder who that girl grew into and what has become of her life. [If you are reading this, I wonder if you remember it too].

I was 29, on holiday in London, it is midsummer, a heatwave and over 30 degrees. The roads are empty and I am walking along Curzon Street towards Hyde Park in shorts and a t-shirt. A woman of a similar age is ahead of me and we notice each other. There is an instant mutual attraction. We slow down and when we are level we stop. We turn to each other. Silently, we look at each other and in the heat I can smell her skin. My mouth is dry and I feel a connection. This moment lasts as for what seems eternity, no smiles, no shyness, just both us us still looking into each others eyes as if something vital and important passes between us. I want to stay there forever. But something happens, a car door in the distance is slammed, or a taxi toots, I cannot remember. But the moment is broken and thoughts of my partner come back to me and so I am heading off to Hyde Park again. I eventually turn round to look back and she turns synchronised. But we continue on and I cannot look back again. As I turn the corner into Park Lane whatever bond there was is broken.

There are many more: the retired couple who invited me into their home in Oxfordshire for afternoon tea as I walked the footpath by their house (I stayed overnight), the accordion playing sailor who lived in his car and the woman who knew all there is to know about trees. I may come back and post these later!

When I was 21 living in London on my own, my job had a showroom out front when one day this man came in, I’m assuming Indian, he seemed very religious and was selling little religious books, he wasn’t Buddhist I remember he had a turbin. My boss started to send him packing when he turned to me and said he wasn’t worth it and that I would wait a very long time and travel and long way but I would eventually meet the one who would make be happy, then he left. At the time I was in an abusive relationship with someone from my home town, he was trying to get me to go back. It was 24 years later I met my DH at the other side of the world and I’m very happy. I’ve thought about this man often.

I love this thread 💖

so many of these stories remind me of this song

Whilst in central Germany I was walking to my local bakery in a fairly small town when a civilian British fire engine drove past with firemen all fully dressed in the gear in the back. I stopped open mouthed at this very unusual sight and one of the firemen in the back waved to me.

I still wonder what the hell a British fire engine with kitted up firemen was doing driving around / through a small town in Germany.

I literally read this thinking I hope that’s something my 2 boys would do 😊

Some of these are lovely. I have a not so nice one. I was on a ferry to France with an ex and we were queuing for lunch in the cafe. There was a British family behind me - mum, dad, teenage boy - and the mum.and the boy looked absolutely terrified. I've never seen fear like it, it just sort of radiated from them. I'm lucky enough to have no direct experience of domestic violence but it was clear as day to me that that was the situation there.

It's really stayed with me and I hope they managed to leave him.

When I was 22 I was engaged to an idiot of a man (but couldn't see that at the time.) We were living together and one day out of the blue he dumped me, pretty harshly and I was totally shocked. I packed a bag and left our flat to start walking to the train station to go and stay with my brother..... crying all the way there.

As I was walking over a bridge in the city centre a lovely older lady stopped me and asked me if I was alright. I told her what had happened and she said "I knew it would be a man" and gave me a huge hug and told me everything would be ok. Then went on her way. I was a bit taken aback but thought "you know what, she's right" and took off my engagement ring there and then and threw it off the bridge into the river below.

I still think of that lady from time to time and how kind she was to a total stranger. She was totally right and years later I met my now DH, had two little girls and idiot fiancé is a distant memory.

Happened a few years ago to my neighbour . They were on holiday somewhere overseas . Her little boy befriended another boy on the beach and they played together . The other boy was with two men but they didn't think anything of it.
Next day saw them again , one of the men bought them ice cream .
Couple of days later same boy on beach , only this time 2 men again but only 1 was the same as other times . Our neighbours started to feel something might be amiss and asked the boy which of the men was his dad , he told them neither .
They didn't see the boy again but asking around their hotel it turned out he was a Prince of some Arab country who holiday on the island and the men were his bodyguards.

I was visiting at friend at university while still at school myself. Somewhat awfully, she brought a guy back for a one night stand. They did the deed in her bathroom and afterwards she fell asleep and the guy camped out on her floor. She fell asleep but me and the guy started chatting politely. We chatted for hours, about all sorts of stuff but mostly travelling. I remember him recommending all sorts of places I have now since visited and they've all been as good as he described.

I often wonder how he got on in life and wish him well

Oh I've just thought of another lovely one.
In the middle of lockdown I took a walk in the country and ended up on a bridge watching the water. It was a fast flowing river and I was leaning over to watch it.
Two older ladies came by and stood either side of me. We made conversation for quite a while, they asked me how I was coping with lockdown and we sympathised with each other about how difficult it was. Towards the end of the conversation the ladies said something along the lines of "glad you're ok anyway, we walk this way a few times a week because you never know...." and trailed of.
I realised after that they were walking that way to check nobody was suicidal up there.
I've wondered ever since what happened to them. I hope they're both well and happy now. Two unsung lockdown heroes.