As far as I know, almost every child is warned not to initiate a talk with strangers. According to adults, strangers are synonymous with evil and danger. I followed the advice when I was little.

However, as I was growing up, I started to chat with strangers on public transport and on the Internet. Those conversations deepened my understanding of society and hence my horizons were expanded. On several occasions, kindness from strangers moved me in ways beyond my expectations.

It was a Sunday. I was waiting at a bus shelter to get back to school. No bus, unfortunately, came after I had been standing there for ages. With seconds ticking by, I became more and more nervous. Being late for school, a heinous crime in my teacher’s eyes, is the last thing I would do. Luckily a taxi drew near and I flagged it down. Before I could move up to the vehicle, however, a middle-aged woman cut in on me and pulled open the door. Not willing to compete against her, I decided to step back and give it up.

The taxi driver started to talk, “Madame, don’t you see the girl over there is a student? I suppose you are just on a shopping trip. Why not let her go first?”

Embarrassed, the woman apologised and stepped aside. Breathing a sigh of relief, I hopped in.

In the car, I started a chat with the cabbie, asking him why he had treated me so well.

“I saw your school uniform, girl,” the driver explained. “You must be pressed for time. My daughter used to be a YYHS student, too. She is now a uni student in Wuhan. Life is rife with competition, girl. We all have to fight for a place if need be.”

This brief encounter not only added to my wisdom but also opened my eyes to the value of interaction with a stranger. Thanks to my chats with fellow humans from different backgrounds over the years, my outlook is broader and my journey less lonely, more colourful.