The Power of Fruit Cups and Strangers

Mar 30, 2009 at 5:55 PM

I was rummaging through my notebook in search for some travel information for my best friend Vanesa. While searching I found a passage I had written on a plane ride back to the states from Morocco. It's always nice to find something you forgot existed.

May 4, 2008

I meet a Mr. Ian Thompson on my flight from Bamako, Mali to Morocco. He lives in Windsor, he's a sculptor, spent two years working in Mali 10 years ago. He was on his way back to England after just spending three weeks in Mali with a friend. He looked about 35 years old, had blue eyes, a prominent nose, his lower lip came out a bit further than his upper lip when closed. He was slightly balding and had a few grey hairs on the sides of his head. He was lean and looked about six feet tall. He didn't like communal eating in Mali. While he worked there he probably cooked a total of “five times” and “always ate street food”. We exchanged our food on the plane after I was accidentally given the non-vegetarian meal. I gave him my chicken he gave me his fruit cup but only after saying “I can’t believe you are vegan, you look healthy.”

He told me that Jesus was probably a black man because Jesus loved Gospel. I then told him that all Brits are liars and he said "You're probably right, Tony Blair is the perfect role model in helping perpetuate that truth." I laughed.

I left Ian Thompson at Terminal 27 after a hour and a half plane ride to Morocco and a two hour conversation at the airport. I left abruptly as I ran to catch the shuttle bus for my journey back to the states. We said our goodbyes with a handshake a "thank you for helping me find my terminal" from me and a "thanks for the company" from him. I never looked back and I probably won't ever see Mr. Ian Thompson again but I hope he knows that for those 3 and a half hours he managed to change my life and restored my belief in the power of friendship between strangers.

Thanks Ian Thompson.

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