Strangers in the Frame

You know, some of those shows from the 90s had a unique way of pulling you in right from the start. Think Felicity, Grey's Anatomy, or Sex and the City—each episode often began with a thoughtful monologue. It was a moment when the main character would narrate what was going on in their life, setting the tone not just for the next half-hour, but also giving us a glimpse into their mind. Whether it was Felicity writing letters to an older woman—Sally, I think her name was—or Sarah Jessica Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw reflecting on her latest dating debacle, these monologues did more than explain the plot. They made you pause and think about your own life, too. They asked you to reflect on your own moments, the intersections between your life and the lives of others.

I remember watching one of these shows—not sure which one, don’t ask me to recall—but something stuck with me. There was an analogy they used to explain a scene, and it went something like this: When you go to an amusement park or any place where there’s a crowd, and you snap a picture with your loved one, do you ever notice the strangers in the background? The ones who unintentionally end up in your photo? You don’t know who they are, what they’re going through, or what their lives are like. Maybe your paths will never cross again, but for that brief second, they’ve been immortalized in your memory, forever part of that moment in time. It’s a powerful thought, really. Without ever meaning to, we share space, time, and existence with people we may never know, and yet, they become a part of our story—if only for a moment.

And it’s not just photos. Think about your day-to-day life. You pass strangers on the street, sit next to them on the bus, or stand behind them in line at the grocery store. You have no idea who they are or what they’ve been through. Some may go on to do incredible things—future leaders, creators, or even someone destined to help change the world in some small, yet meaningful way. Others might face unimaginable struggles or walk down darker paths. But here’s the beautiful part—we don’t know. They are just as much a mystery to us as we are to them. And that’s what makes these shared moments so humbling.

But what if some of those strangers weren’t meant to stay strangers? What if the person you’re standing next to today could become your best friend tomorrow, or even the love of your life? What if they’re meant to be your brother or sister in spirit, your greatest supporter, your destiny helper—someone who will play a key role in shaping your life, whether you know it now or not? It’s a beautiful, thrilling thought, isn’t it? The idea that the very next person you meet could be one of the most important people in your life, even though right now, they’re just a stranger you shared a brief moment with.

We live in a world that loves to divide us—by race, religion, age, background, all these categories that separate us. But if you stop and look around, you’ll realize how much we all have in common. We’re all just souls floating through life, bumping into each other, sharing this one fleeting existence. We breathe the same air, bleed the same red, and carry our own stories, hopes, and dreams. And in the end, isn’t that what matters most? That we are connected, even when we don’t realize it?

There’s something deeply humbling in seeing life this way. It reminds us that no matter how different we might seem on the surface, we are all part of the same fabric of humanity. We are all sharing this journey, however briefly, together. So the next time you find yourself standing next to a stranger, whether in a crowded mall or in the quiet of a library, take a moment to think about it. You never know—today’s stranger might just become tomorrow’s friend, lover, or even your greatest ally.