The meaning of a stranger’s life

Who said living alone isn't a cool thing to do? The moment I started living alone I started to
know myself better. Loneliness is really stressful sometimes, especially for me, a very sociable girl,
but it is good to feel that you have a place of your own where you can take refuge and do what you
like without being disturbed by anyone. But this "refuge" brings with it many responsibilities that I
have to deal with every day. I could not feel alone considering that I live with my dog who always
protects me.

Finally, since I live alone, I can say that I have become a more philosophical person, and I
have had more time to read and think about what I read. But it is still good to keep your feet on the
ground and know how to react in various situations. As I kept saying about such situations,
something strangely unusual happened to me one day.

I was in the kitchen and after I had done the usual cleaning on Saturday, I heard a knock on
the door. Aunt Melly couldn't be, because I knew she was on vacation with a friend. My neighbor,
Mrs. McBeth, was probably on the market at that hour, and the other neighbor, Engineer John, was
definitely working for an extra penny. At first I thought the correspondence had arrived but I knew it
was impossible over the weekend. I pushed aside a corner of the curtain so I could secretly see who
was knocking on the door. He looked like a man, but I couldn't see his face. He wore a coat down to
the ground and a dusty basque on his head. A stranger! I don't know this man, but what can I do? He
doesn’t want to leave the front door.

I opened the door and I saw his face. He looked like a 40-year-old man with a mustache and
beard, big black eyes, white skin, hair covering his ears. The man was agitated, his hands were
shaking, his gaze was desperate and sad at the same time, he was taking steps back and forth: ’Good
morning miss! I need your help. Could you please let me in? (he sighed) I can explain you’. Despite
the fact that I was already afraid of this man, I was able to quickly analyze the way he spoke to me.
He seemed polite and sensible, but his agitation was dubious. I still can't explain how I had the
courage and the madness to let him into the house.

In any case, I was ready to press the emergency button in case something happened. The
man entered the hall, dismounted, put his coat on a hanger, and so did the Basque. Would you like
us to sit on the terrace? It's beautiful outside, 'he asks me. I nodded. But before we went outside, I
noticed how his eyes were blocked - he noticed my library in the living room.

Finally, I went out on the terrace, I brought some lemonade.

'Don't be afraid of me, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm a man who has had a lot of trouble ...
but I feel like this life is useless. Honestly, I want to kill myself. You're probably wondering what I'm
doing here right now. Honestly, I don't know either. I was planning to kill myself today. But I thought
I'd stop by your place and tell you why. I felt like I had to stop here and tell you everything. '

I don't know what worried me the most - the fact that this man wants to commit suicide, or
the fact that the way he spoke, gestured and behaved conveyed a state of sympathy to me, even
though I couldn't trust him.
 'I don't know what your life is like, but mine is miserable. I can't erase the past, it follows me
like a ghost in the back. I've made so many mistakes, but I'm not sorry for them all. I don't even
understand the meaning of my life on earth anymore. I've been drug addicted for 25 years. It was
hard for me to let go of this habit. My wife left me because of this and took the children with her. I
wasn't a bad person with them. I took refuge in drugs because I didn't understand myself. I said that
alcohol can make me happy and make me find out why I exist. I am a confused man.

I made a lot of mistakes, I ended up stealing to have money to buy drugs. I betrayed my
friends because of them. But I managed to get rid of this habit, because I was hospitalized in rehab.
Although I got rid of the habit, I realized how wrong I was. I don't think I deserve to live anymore.
There were people with me, but I feel like I'm a disappointment to them.

I was shocked by what he said, but I felt that this man do not deserve to commit suicide and
that he need my help. Nothing is accidental in life.

‘Your story left me speechless. But I see the situation differently from you. First of all, there
are many people who are addicted to drugs and can't get rid of this bad habit, even if they go to
rehab. So you're not the only one in the world. The fact that you've been through this means you're
strong. Think that every human being has a destiny already made, and you are not allowed to die
now. I think you can help people.’

’To help them? How can a bad man like me help other people?’

’Simple. Help people who have the same past as you.’

’How do I do that?’

’You can do it in any form. You can write. you can meet people like that. You fought a war
with an addiction that not everyone can do. You are strong. I think that's the meaning of your life.
You made a mistake, and you learned from your mistakes. Now you have to make others find the
meaning of life. The meaning of your life is to help people like you. If your life was to end, it should
have ended by now. If it is not over, it means that you have to live and that you have not fulfilled the
mission of your life. Admire yourself for the courage you had to stop this addiction. And especially for
the fact that you managed to get rid of this bad habit. Your life is not over, you still have time to do
good things. People need you.’

‘But I can't change the past ...’

 ‘Exactly! You can't change it, but instead you can change your future and not just yours. Have
you thought about that?’

‘I don't think I can do that ... it's a tough fight to be able to quit drugs ...’

‘Exactly! It's a hard fight you fought. Why do you think others can't do it? You are an example
to others. And there are definitely people like you.’

‘A moment of silence fell between me and this man, who on a simple Saturday thought of
committing suicide, but could not do so without telling the story of a stranger like me.’

The man thought for a while. After he got up and thanked me nicely and told me he was
going home to cook his favourite pasta. He told me that life is really short and that if he survived so
many evils, it means that destiny gives him another chance and that he must take advantage of the
remaining time.

It was a strange meeting, but not by chance. Every stranger has a problem, a hidden story, a
trauma. Be kind to others, you never know what is hiding in their soul!