Strangers Meet Again

        Last night after baby-sitting I walked home in the dark. Katie, being the concerned sister-in-law that she is, armed me with her pink bottle of pepper spray before I left the apartment. I clutched it tightly, my thumb ready to pull the trigger at anyone suspicious, when I saw a guy about my age ride up to the stoplight next to me on his bike. You know that awkward feeling when someone looks familiar and you're not sure why so you stretch the comfortable time limit on staring to see how long you can get away with before you figure it out? That's actually what I was just starting to do when he looked at me for a second and then said, "We met at the grocery store."

        My friends and family laugh because I am always making random friends in random places, but I love it. It always makes a great story to tell later! I did actually meet this kid in the grocery store last week--I remembered the second he said it. Rachel and I had gone to Smith's last Saturday at 11:00 p.m., which is suprisingly a popular time for BYU students to buy their groceries, especially the weekend before school starts and no one wants to break the Sabbath by shopping on Sunday. I was transitioning between the fruits and vegetables to the condiments aisle when I stopped briefly to talk to a guy I'd known before my mission--exchanged some pleasantries and continued on toward the peanut butter. Matt (though I didn't know that was his name at the time) had overheard me say that I just returned from a mission in May and said from behind me, "Hey, welcome home!" That struck up a conversation between me and him and his roommate. I had an instant connection with his roommate because we were both searching for just the right peanut butter among at least 10 options and we bonded over that. So we talked for a little bit and then went our separate ways (I didn't get to finish my grocery shopping that night, if you were wondering). I didn't think I'd even be able to recognize either of them if I'd seen them on campus after that.

        I replayed that encounter in my mind once I realized I was talking to the same guy. He pulled his bike over to talk to me for a few minutes and then asked if I wanted him to walk me home. Yes, please! That would be great. By then I only had two blocks left, but I wanted to make sure they were a very safe two blocks!

        Matt was quite the gentleman. Walked me all the way to my door, great conversation, and then told me he would ask me out for ice cream except he was leaving for BYU-Idaho the next day (today). Too bad! What do you do with that? I thanked him and walked inside--not even knowing his last name so I could look him up on Facebook (sorry Dad, I forgot to ask), but I am so grateful he was kind enough to keep me company those last two blocks!