Everyone Has a Story to Tell

Everyone has a Story to Tell

Once when I was walking to the office from the gym, I stopped by this restaurant to get some food. While waiting for my food to arrive, the manager, who already knows me from my earlier visits, went outside to chat (I sat in their outdoor section). He began with the usual Kamusta na ser, Matagal na kayo hindi napadaan ser. I told him I was usually very busy so I just eat food I brought to the office. We exchanged a few stories about our work, how we both hardly had time to ourselves, how we both work on weekends and extended hours. Then we got to talk about marriage and family life. Since I'm not married, he obviously took the floor on that conversation. I learned how he and his wife both work, and that their child is being cared for by his mother-in-law in the province, and how they see their kid only on weekends.

The entire conversation took place while I was seated and he was standing beside my table, preserving the barriers of a manager-customer relationship while at the same time enjoying a short chat.

After I got my food, had to excuse myself since I had so much work to do. I thanked him and I went on back to my daily labors.

I then realized, that as much as I liked hearing his story, I guess he must have equally enjoyed telling it. Did it give him a break from the restaurant business? Did he experience a moment apart from the dishes and beer and cigarettes? A moment to be himself, not just a manager but as a person as well....A person with a unique life and story to tell.

Everyone has a story to tell. We seem to reclaim part of our lost humanity when we tell our stories and share our experiences. Humanity that is lost when we get so caught up in our work and efforts to survive. As bad as things get for us, we always feel a little better when we have someone who we can share our feelings with. People have a story to tell. The difficult part sometimes is finding someone who will listen.

As for myself, when I do feel the need to tell my story, I'd ring up my closest friends. Maybe Eric or Maillol or Karl *

And other times, I would...well...

Your reading one of them now.


*Wag na selos ang hindi nabanggit please. Examples lang yan. Behave. Hehehe. Love you all.