Life's Adventures: Hit and Run People Impact

I'm a believer in the philosophy, or is it a theory, that we are touched and changed by everyone we encounter in life. And of course, we do our own amount of touching and changing. There are those people who are in our lives for years, but the ones who only pass through, maybe one hit wonders, make a difference too. 

I'm not sure how some of these hit and runs have affected me, but the fact I remember them must add to the richness of life's ongoing adventure.

How far back can you remember? One of my earliest is of a tall, thin man with dark hair...a neighbor...whose dog ate my pet rabbit. I was three years old. It might be the realization that one animal could do that to another animal that sticks with me, but tall, dark-haired men always gave me pause.

When I was in fourth grade and the new kid at the school, Mrs. Tinharkle, my teacher, used me as an example of why she always let a fellow classmate, Betty, read to us each day. When a couple of kids complained about only Betty getting to read, she called me up to the front of the class and stuck the book in my hands. I read, but not smooth like Betty. I stumbled over words, and my voice shook with nerves. After a couple of paragraphs, she told me to sit down and said, "see. This is why I always choose Betty." In my mind, that teacher is an ugly witch. But I think she's the reason I forced myself to become comfortable speaking and presenting. No one would ever use me as a bad example again.

A few months before the transition to high school, I was talking to a guy about what it would be like. I shared I wanted to be on the cheer squad and date a letterman. His comment: "With your looks? You'll never date a letterman." I don't remember being particularly hurt by his opinion. He did go on to be a letterman in high school, and I did go on to date two lettermen over the course of my four years. Had my personality been different, that guy could've impacted my life horribly. I did bleach my hair blonde and start wearing a lot of makeup. Hmm...

I went to college in snow country. Having been raised in Phoenix, snow was an adventure. Between classes one snowy day, I slipped and went sprawling. From out of nowhere, big strong hands scooped me up. I gazed upward at beautiful blue eyes, chestnut hair falling across his forehead, and smiling lips. I don't remember what he said. I don't know if I said anything. And then he was gone. My embarrassment was huge, but his kindness has stuck with me all my life.

FDW and I celebrated one wedding anniversary by driving from Arizona to see friends in Minnesota. The first stop on our adventure was Tucson to see the kids. When we arrived, walking up their sidewalk, I fell and landed on my face, knocking out a front tooth. So the trip started with a bang. On the night of our actual anniversary, we stopped for dinner in Nebraska. We were on a tight budget, my mouth was a mess, and we talked about all of that. We also toasted each other for our anniversary. When we were done eating, the waitress informed us that the two men at the table over had paid for our meal. They were gone. I was awestruck. My mouth no longer hurt, and my heart swelled. 

There are plenty of people who I have in my life now or who have been in my life for prior years. I'm thankful for the lessons both good and bad they imparted. But it's these one hit wonders who have also shaped my life. Life's an adventure for sure, and the people we encounter are trail markers.