in the therapy of strangers

Thought about him last night, pumping gas into the Prius, and how much you can see into the life of a stranger.

I was reading intently and missed the stewardness practically yelling for me to take my water. The man on the aisle seat brushed my arm and reached up for my drink, then mentioned my shirt before I could put my nose back into the book. We started to chat and I gave up my anti-social stance.

We talked about family. I found it interesting that he referred to his wife primarily in regards to his children: "Their mother." I thought they were divorced until he called her his wife later in the conversation. I talked a little bit about my current family situation. He wants his wife to be harder on the children and let them fail. His son wants to live further from home.

And we talked about him, about health, about food- as most conversations go these days. I love that everyone has an opinion and sees themselves in a certain way in that web. At first, he said he considers himself lucky not to weigh more than 10 pounds over his college graduation weight. He can eat whatever he wants and doesn't work out. He's "not one of those raving health nuts." His shape has changed, but if he feels himself gaining anything, he skips a few meals and it doesn't hurt him.

Then he mentioned that after this last trip, he's rethinking the way he eats and lives. At 47, maybe it's time to look at things differently and be more responsible. I mentioned some simple ways to improve his diet: whole grains, whole foods, shop primarily from the borders of the supermarket and buy things fresh. It can reverse aging diseases: arthritis, cataracts, stiff joints, heart disease, cancer.

He showed me a picture of a log house in the Sky magazine and said he wanted to build one of those on his lake property in Brownwood. I said that sounded nice. We talked a little about my research.

Then he told me he's had digestion issues his whole life. Had a big check up at 27 and was told he has spastic everything. I was about to ask him if he worries a lot, and he went right into how he never stops going, how the doctor back then told him he needed to slow down. But he told the doc "no way"- he was on a path and he was sticking to it. He does well in real estate now, I guess.

I explained how the head and the stomach share the strongest nerve connections and relaxing further would bring him more peace with eating. (Didn't mention he might gain some weight too, as his body is actually able to hold onto the nutrients). Said maybe the lake house will help him relax. He said he needed to sell part of his company before he could afford the actual house and looked very worried all over again.

Right before we departed he said he wanted me to know there was a celebrity on the plane. The bald head in the exit row: Bush's previous Secretary of Commerce and the president's best friend. Said he's a great man. I just commented how interesting it was that he was flying Southwest Airlines... in the exit row.

I learned so much about this man. He released a lot about himself to me and I feel honored to have been that receptacle. Perhaps I do that to others as well, relaxing into anonymity, relishing in the therapy of strangers.