Sometimes all we need is a hug, a kind word, or just a simple smile. And no matter how much love and support we have from our inner circles it can be easier to find comfort in a stranger. With strangers there is no expectation. They don't know how to help you because they don't know you so all they can do is just be there. On the lighter side, life is filled with moments we all share just as humans. We connect in a dance, in a laugh or a wink to commemorate just living in one particular moment... and it's beautiful.
Redditor u/Pielef wanted everyone to share the moments they've experienced with people they've only just met by asking.... What's the most intimate moment you've had with a complete stranger?
The Eyes.
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When I was about 14, I was at a road-stop restaurant with my family, and from the moment we entered I started meeting the eyes of this girl about my age at another table.
Our eyes just kept meeting while we were eating, and I couldn't really focus on what any of my family was saying. When we left the place, I looked over my shoulder outside, and met her eyes again. Held it for a good 10-15 seconds before my mother called me over to the car.
I still think of her sometimes. BuguOst
I love your dress.
My year 11 inter school dance. I had what I can now say was a panic attack and retreated to the bathroom. My best friend tried to talk me out but I wouldn't leave. I told her to go back out and I would be fine.
A girl from another school came in and saw I was obviously distressed. She didn't ask me what was wrong or if I was okay. She said she loved my dress and asked me about it. She then told me about hers and we started talking about school and what we wanted to do when we graduated. Her friends eventually came in and found her and she said goodbye. I felt so much better that I went out and joined my friends.
I never got her name and don't remember which school she went to now but I am so incredibly grateful to her and I hope she is having a wonderful life. punkynomie
Flying Together.
Sat next to a middle aged lady on an airplane. It was her first time flying and she was freaking out. I held her hand and arm through takeoff, landing, and during the slight turbulence during the flight. Normally I'm not a touchy person, but this felt natural. cheezydan
Um. Okay I guess.
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A woman wearing completely white makeup with black lipstick gently caressed my arm as I passed her on the street. Not sure if I should be freaked out or simply ok with it. LOL Goatqdon
Christmas Together.
I used to live abroad a couple of years ago and when I came back to my "new" country after being home for Christmas I was waiting for the airport bus to go into town.
While I was waiting there a woman my age (~20) comes up and asks me if I know the way to the airport bus and as I did we ended up waiting together there and then sat next to each other on the bus. She was so easy to talk to. The bus was about 50 minutes and we got talking really deep and it felt super natural.
Then we got to the main station in town and we looked each other in the eyes and kissed before wishing each other well and going on our separate ways. I'm thinking of her quite often still, years later and it pains me that I didn't take her number or anything - just her name, Katja.
However I feel that maybe this is what made it so special, 2 strangers in a random country sharing 1 hour by destiny while sharing intimate stories and feeling connected in a way that I have not experienced before or after. Maybe she was my soul mate but in that case I'm sure we will meet again. sqarin1
We can be friends....
I got into a car with a stranger who was asking for directions, so i could show him the way (I know that was dangerous and stupid) Then he offered me coffee, we spent the whole day together, he offered me dinner. I started to think he was into me, but i still don't know. I talked about all of my problems to him and my inferiority complex. He had a degree in psychology so he gave me some useful tips. Afterwards we became kind of friends. It's crazy how a complete stranger can care about you more than your "friends." Still, I was naive for getting in a car with a stranger. Tramelo
Let's dance.
I was fairly intoxicated and had been dancing with some girls and on the way to the bathroom I passed one of them and as I walked by her I put my hand on the side of her face, looked into her eyes and smiled... she seemed to be really into it but right after I realized that wasn't the same girl and I just did that to a total stranger. WesternEuropeanDude
Taxes Together.
Today is the 24th anniversary of forgetting my taxes until late in the afternoon. I ran with my documents downtown (Denver) and found a crowd of equal irresponsible people. We were moving through the IRS building like a pack and the employees expected this. It was mostly closed up with a stack of booklets and a stack of E-Z forms on another floor.
Once the mob and acquired both we sort of just scattered. I found myself with a young woman sharing a pen and doing our taxes together on the hood of her car. We helped each other line by line through our pathetic financial documents. We parted ways and I never talked to her again. DarrenEdwards
Kinko's Connection.
I was living in Houston and working at a FedEx Kinko's (Copy & Print shop) when Hurricane Katrina happened. An older women came in a with photo of her son who was missing that she wanted to post online. She has no idea how to really use a computer and certainly no idea how to scan and upload a photo. We were way backed up in the in-house side of things, so I set her up at a self service computer and did it all myself. Scanned and burned her a copy of the photo. Uploaded online to where she wanted and walked her through everything I did in case she found other places to post the photo. She was immensely grateful. Roughly 2 months later she came in and brought her son because he wanted to thank me for helping his mom find him. We hugged. I cried. Most intimate stranger moment of my life. mizmac85
Braid Away...
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I was in a long line at a 7/11 and and old black lady behind me started braiding my hair and humming. When she was done, I said thank you and left with my purchase. throwitallawayyy2016
Paws Away....
Once, when my dog was just a few months old, we were out for a walk and we passed this guy on the street who was just leaning against a wall. She stopped, and refused to budge. She looked at me, looked up at the guy, then looked back at me and just wagged her tail a little. So I said, "Do you want to say hello?" And she turns to the guy and puts her paws on his knee. Just for the record, my dog doesn't like people - she's really shy and doesn't approach strangers, so I was kind of surprised that she wanted to interact.
The guy bends down and pets her for a minute or two. Then he stands up, and he looks at me and says thank you, and the look on his face was so vulnerable, like he was about to cry. That was over a year ago and I think about that guy once in a while. He was so grateful to just pet a cute puppy for a few minutes, and my dog just seemed to know that he needed it. So, I guess my dog had an intimate moment with a stranger, and I just witnessed it. particularshadeofblu
Farewell....
Former EMT here. Crying with a family who's grandfather got his pulse back after 5 mins of me giving him CPR when he was essentially dead. Unfortunately he didn't survive the brain damage but they were so grateful to me for giving them a chance to say goodbye. Skavis18
A Needed Lift....
I got on a ski lift at one point with just me and a total stranger. For whatever reason we started talking about our respective faiths almost immediately, but in a totally chill kind of fashion without any weirdness or awkwardness. The dude then admitted he was going through a pretty rough patch and doing some soul searching as a result. I offered my consolations and encouraged him to open up if he wanted to.
This was really bizarre for me as I'm usually an introvert. So then this dude, who I had just met as we sat down on a ski lift, opens up and tells me all about it. I won't repeat what he said, as almost all of it is deeply personal, but he really did have it rough. Some of it was his fault, he acknowledged, but most of it was out of his control. He started tearing up at the end and had to remove his ski goggles just to wipe away the tears. As we neared the top he thanked me for listening and gave me a coupon for a free hot chocolate from a restaurant on the slopes.
I wished him the best of luck with what he was going through and told him he seemed like an outstanding guy who had it in him to make it through this. He thanked me again, then we both parted ways. I never saw him again, but I truly hope things got better for him. Willshaper_Asher
Having fun IS winning....
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I had a man pull me aside at an agility dog show (I was a 'leash runner' volunteer) and asked me if I would run his dog, as he had an injured knee, and felt bad that his dog wasn't able to run to its content. His willingness to throw the competition to make sure his dog could have fun, and a newbie could get some experience melted my heart. We were only one point away from qualifying :3 Febe_Fox
Call me Dan....
At a free improv class, a warmup exercise where you had to add on to a chain of sound effects and hand shakes with your partner repeatedly, in rhythm. Required a lot of eye contact, and a surprising amount of vulnerability, because it was rather silly. Also a ton of laughs.
Dancing Dan. If you're out there, I wish I knew your real name. unchi_post_desu
Flying Keys....
I dropped my keys on the way to my car once. I had just begun to retrace my steps when a dude walked by on the sidewalk. He gives me a small "hey" to get my attention and without hesitation sends the keys flying through the air a good 20 feet over to me. Mid flight I say thank you and in one fluid motion catch the keys and sit down into the driver's seat. It was so smooth and effortless. Good on that guy, my hero. kissLarryBirdsbelly
Hugs make a difference....
On a cold winter day, there was a homeless man sitting on the front steps of the church where I was music director.
As I unlocked the door to enter the building for practice, I noticed the man was shivering and looked especially destitute. So I invited him inside and fixed food for him in the parish hall kitchen.
Feeding him nourishing food (and some hot coffee with cookies) made a profound difference. Plus, the church's rummage sale had a heavy winter coat and hat that fit him perfectly.
As he departed, the man gave me a warm smile, followed by a "bear hug" - a moment I'll never forget. Back2Bach
Slumber Party!
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Literally sharing a hotel room with 3 other strangers. When i was in law school and flying back to New Orleans, our flight got diverted to Birmingham for fog. We had to stay overnight so everyone was just like wtf do we do??
I find myself in the hotel lobby with three other student aged people (two guys, 1 other girl) and we decided to bunk together to save money. It wound up being a fun night as we got booze and food and stayed up talking and we all went to sleep innocently enough. The next morning we got on our flight and exchanged info, made plans to go to parties and shit together. I even gave one of the guys a ride home. Never heard from anyone ever again. carlieweasley
Pump Up the Volume!
I'm a dude of mid-20s,and I drive for Uber/Lyft and one really busy night someone got in my car when I had my "Guardians of the Galaxy Soundtrack" Pandora station playing. I can't recommend it highly enough, all sorts of great older music. Anyways, young woman hops in the car, we exchange a brief hi, how are you, and then American Pie comes on. Now I don't really sing along with my passengers, I'm not good at singing at all, and I don't really enjoy singing along with the music.
It just doesn't add much to it for me. But this young woman my age just starts singing. After a verse or two, I decide to join in too. And she starts to harmonize with my off-pitch singing on her own. The song ends like right as I pull up to the hotel, and we exchange minimal pleasantries again, and go on our separate ways. I don't even remember her name or face, but I definitely remember the random jam session that was good enough to join in on. tmos540
Baby on the Way....
In a public bathroom, a very pregnant lady was there with her two young daughters. Neither could reach the sink to was their hands, and mom was too pregnant to be lifting them. I'm a mom, so I offered. I held the girls up (one at a time) while they each washed and dried their hands and then sent them back with mom. bubblegum1286
- People Break Down The Most Intimate Things In A Relationship That Aren't Sexual - George Takei ›
- People Share The Exact Moment They Knew They Needed To End A Romantic Relationship - George Takei ›
The old wives' tales.
They are the stories of legend.
I think we all need a big DEEP Google dive though.
Where did they originate?
WHO ARE THE OLD WIVES!
You don't hear about them as much anymore.
It's like science and logic are suddenly a thing.
But they sure are a good way to keep your kids and their behavior in line.
Redditor the_spring_goddess wanted to discuss the tall tales we've all been fed through life, so they asked:
"What is an old wives tale that people still believe?"
"Wait an hour to swim after eating."
What a crock!
So many summer hours wasted.
I want revenge for that one.
Say Nothing
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"An undercover cop has to tell you he's a cop if you ask him."
LonelyMail5115
"Pretty much most advice when it comes to cops are old wives tales. I’m not even a cop but most of the advice you hear is pretty off."
I_AM_AN_A**HOLE_AMA
Say Something
"That you have to wait 24 hours to report someone missing."
Severe_Airport1426
"I really think this one is important and should be the top regardless. As it’s a piece of advice that needs to be relearned and the only way to do that is through awareness."
crappycurtains
"This used to be true. I think they changed it after some guy named Brandon went missing back in the '80s or '70s. You used to have to wait 24 hours if the missing person was an adult because they had 'a right to be missing' and then everyone realized that was stupid and stopped doing it."
AlbinoShavedGorilla
Body Temps
"That drinking ice cold water after eating oily foods will solidify the oil and permanently remain in your body. I informed my coworker that if your body temperature ever reached that point, you’d have bigger problems than weight gain."
chriseo22
"Oh, I have a cousin who 100% believed this. One of those guys who believed every early 2000s internet rumor and old wives tale. One night I chugged a big glass of ice water after dinner and he started freaking out and saying my guts were gonna harden."
"I sarcastically told him to drive me to the hospital if that happened. Obviously, nothing happened and the next morning I said something like 'Thanks for being on standby in case my guts filled with hardened oil.' He just walked off muttering under his breath."
apocalypticradish
Arms Down
"When I was pregnant, I was told by young and old alike that I should NOT raise my arms above my head or exert myself in such a manner because it could cause cord strangulation to my unborn sons and daughters."
Fatmouse84
10 Years Actually
Unimpressed Uh Huh GIF by Brooklyn Nine-Nine
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"Chewing gum stays in your stomach for 7 years."
"I remember accidentally swallowing a piece of gum when I was a kid in like 1995 and just accepting my fate like welp, gonna have this in my stomach til high school I guess."
Gecko-911
I was so afraid to sallow my gum when I was young.
This tale is haunting.
High/Low
Hungry Debra Messing GIF by Will & Grace
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"You can tell the sex of the baby by how you carry."
LeastFormal9366
"Pregnancy certainly wins awards for the most old wives tales. So much absolute BS was repeated to us by everyone we talked to."
IllIIIlIllIlIIlIllI
The Cursed
"If you’re a woman and you wear opal jewelry but opal is not your birthstone (October), you’ll never be able to have children, or will be widowed, or just generally have bad luck or something. You can counteract this by having a diamond in the same piece of jewelry as the opal, though."
"I have a nice opal ring that my parents gave me years ago, and I’ve had other women give me this 'advice' unprompted more than once when I’ve worn it. I have absolutely no idea where it started, but I’m pretty sure this little chunk of silicate rock has no concept of what month I was born in, let alone of how my reproductive organs work."
SmoreOfBabylon
Stay In
"Going outside with wet hair will make you get pneumonia. Or an earache. Or maybe arthritis. Depends on which old wife you listen to."
"Jokes on them - I haven't blow-dried my hair in decades and usually leave the house with wet hair in the morning. On winter mornings, the tips of my hair get frozen. No ear infections or pneumonia or arthritis yet."
worldbound0514
Dreams and Facts
"You never make anyone up in your dreams you've seen everyone in your dreams somewhere else before and never make anyone up entirely."
"How would you possibly prove that to be true? My partner adamantly believes this and tells me this 'fact' whenever I have a dream about someone I've never met before."
mattshonestreddit
"My late wife used to tell me that before she met me she would have dreams of standing at an alter on her wedding day but could never see the guy's face, no matter how hard she tried. After meeting me the face was filled in with mine. Don't know if it's true but one of those things I like thinking of every now and then when I miss her."
Darthdemented
Cracked
Getting Ready Episode 2 GIF by The Office
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"Some people still believe cracking knuckles causes arthritis."
Choice-Grapefruit-44
"There's a doctor (Donald Unger) that cracked his knuckles a couple of times a day for 60 years, but only on one hand, just to prove it. Both hands remained exactly the same."
MacyTmcterry
I love my knuckles.
Do you have any tall tales to add to the list? Let us know in the comments below.
