Beautiful People ~ Beautiful Stories

“No love, no friendship can cross the path of our destiny without leaving some mark on it forever.”

Francois Muriac

It all started when I went back to school to get my high school diploma. I have met so many interesting people. I will never forget sitting in my all subjects class for the first time. There was a mix of ages; me being one of the oldest. We all had one thing in common, we needed to get our High School Diploma. One woman was older than my mom. I never learned of her story. Although, her just being there inspired me. There was another girl who walked in the class and I knew right off she was an exotic pole dancer; she had the prettiest arms, longest legs and knew how to walk across a room. I had her in my Algebra class too. It was interesting to watch the dynamics unfold when she didn't do her homework and an assignment was due. She never went to a female teacher, only the men. It broke my heart to think that she felt she only had her body to get what she wanted. One night she stormed out of class and I didn't even think before I realized I had started to follow her. I asked if I could talk with her and was surprised when she said, "Yes." In a nut shell, my talking to her boiled down to encouraging her not to give up. I learned she had two children and a boyfriend living with her. She quit three weeks before finals in our Fall semester. I learned through teachers, she would come at the beginning of every school year. I often wonder about what happened to her and hope she went back.

As the nights went on, students would share with one another in passing and I would learn bits and pieces of why we were all there (they learned more about me too). What happened in the past which lead us to the present circumstances. I had Gothic kids, ex-gang members and people who have lived on the street in all of my classes. By the end of the year, we understood each other in a way, we would have never had known if we just passed each other on the street (presumably making judgement calls too). We were all trying to find our way.

In my Phlebotomy class, we all got to know each other in the same way, in a more intimate setting. There were a lot of single mothers trying to learn a career in a short amount of time, so that they could take better care of themselves and their children financially. As the nights went on, we would learn more about each other in greater detail. We were all rooting for one another. I have kept in touch with three of the women.

In my Medical Terminology class, the first night we had to go around the room and say our name and tell the class why we were there. There was a woman in her sixty's who just lost her husband and said she needed to get a job to help herself financially. Another had a Jamaican accent who needed credits so that she could continue working for home care. I loved to listen to her try to talk so that we could understand her. Her name was beautiful, Mfonobong. I loved how it would just roll around on my tongue.

We live in a world surrounded by people and each person has a beautiful story. Everyone wants to know they matter and are worthy. If we look passed people who come into our lives, we miss the opportunity to learn and be enlightened by how they live and where they come from. It broadens the mind of what we think we believe and you learn from their experiences, enriching your life. At least... this was my experience.

Amazing stories... each one has left their mark on my heart forever!