On my way home from band practice tonight, I got stuck downtown waiting for the bus which allowed for ample opportunity to be approached by strange men.
Just as I was about to put on my ear buds and listen to some tunes, a short, skinny man with red hair and few teeth approached me and said "It should be about 10 more minutes until the buses come."
Unsure of what to do, I politely thanked him for the update and hesitantly proceeded to raise the ear buds toward my ears and then...
"Are you a student?"
It became clear we were going to have a conversation, so I put away my iPod and chatted with him about what I studied, the fact that I'm job hunting and his life struggles. I wasn't sure why he was talking to me or what he may have expected of our interaction, but I sat there and listened to him, asked about different aspects of his stories and tried to enjoy the conversation for what it was.
Finally, the buses began coming into the square and as he prepared to depart, he told me that if I was looking for a job, I should go to the local employment help organization and tell them that Howie sent me.
So now I've made friends with Howie. Well enough that he wants to be a referral for me. We'll see what occurs when I go there and ask if they know Howie. Either way, this is a small city and I believe he frequents my bus route, so I imagine there will be many more conversations with Howie to come.
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