30 People Reveal The Most Intimate Moments They Had With People They’ve Never Seen In Their Lives Before
A kind word, a hug when needed, and a pinch of empathy are sometimes all that’s needed to make someone smile when they’re down and to feel supported when things seem darkest. We’re all human after all, but sometimes we forget that as we’re busily rushing about doing whatever it is that we do. However, when we slow down, when we get outside of our heads, we can start to notice strangers in need. Strangers who might need a helping hand. Our helping hand.
In a series of honest, emotional, and soul-healing posts on Reddit, internet users shared the most intimate moments they had with complete strangers. The posts are like chicken soup for the heart and soul, dear Pandas, and we thought they’d warm you up and inspire you to be just a bit kinder today. This is the kind of content that the internet was made for!
Scroll down for some truly heart-warming stories. Remember to upvote the ones that touched you the most, share your own stories in the comments if you’re feeling up to it, and read through Bored Panda’s interview about the benefits of kindness with British psychotherapist Silva Neves.
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I had to put down my dog Rocco last Christmas because of age-related health problems. I spoiled him rotten the whole week before. On his last day, I took him for one final walk at the local dog park. He was a big guy, 135 pounds of pure love. The first thing I saw as we began our walk was an older lady with a tiny little dog that was not even the size of Rocco’s head. Of course, Rocco went on his way to say hello and I called out to reassure the woman that he was very gentle. She smiled and replied she wasn’t worried.
As our dogs got to know each other we started chatting and she commented on what a beautiful, wonderful dog Rocco was. I thanked her and told her that sadly it was his last day and I had to put him to sleep later on that day. She immediately burst into tears and looked at me with such compassion and asked if she could hug me. I agreed and we were both in tears.
Afterwards, she told me that she knew how much a dog could make a difference in your life and that just two weeks prior her husband had passed away and she didn’t know how she would have got through it all without her dog. At this point, I was crying again and I asked if I could give her a hug. So there we stood, two complete strangers, hugging and crying. I will never forget that woman and the genuine love and compassion she showed me when I needed it the most.
I was living in Houston and working at a FedEx Kinkos when Hurricane Katrina happened. An older woman came in a with photo of her son who was missing that she wanted to post online. She had no idea how to really use a computer and certainly no idea how to scan and upload a photo. We were way backed up on the in-house side of things, so I set her up at a self-service computer and did it all myself. I scanned and burned her a copy of the photo, uploaded it online to where she wanted, and walked her through everything I did in case she found other places to post the photo. She was immensely grateful.
Roughly two months later, she came in and brought her son because he wanted to thank me for helping his mom find him. We hugged. I cried. Most intimate stranger moment of my life.
I broke my hand very recently in a bad, should-have-died car accident. The State Trooper who arrived almost refused to help me get my ID out of my wallet even with my express permission, let alone help me get out of my car. Then there was Vance.
Vance was a normal-dude tow truck driver with AAA. When he got to me, shaking in my car, eyes and nose running like a faucet, he offered to help me out of the car. His tone was thick with empathy, something severely lacking from the trooper. He helped me open the door and offered to scoop me out of the vehicle, though I just needed an arm. He grabbed me around the lower back and told me I could lean into him as much as I needed. Our faces were touching as he helped me out of the car.
Vance went above and beyond his duty. I wouldn't think twice about a firefighter or police officer doing this, but the tow truck driver gave me pause.
Thank you Vance!
Redditor u/Pielef’s thread on the r/AskReddit subreddit touched a lot of hearts. It’s incredibly difficult not to smile when reading these stories because they touch something primal in all of us—the beauty of seeing an altruistic act when it’s least expected.
The Mental Health Foundation explains that, at its very core, being kind to others makes us feel good. “Helping others can also improve our support networks and encourage us to be more active. This in turn can improve our self-esteem,” they explain that kindness does wonders for our social network.
What’s more, altruism creates a sense of belonging and reduces our feelings of isolation if we have any. We can start feeling connected to our local community by helping our neighbors or complete strangers in need.
Was flying back to the states from Europe. It was about a 14 hour flight. I have health problems and toward the end of the flight I got very sick. Had a very high fever and the shakes. My boyfriend was to my left, an empty seat to my right and next to that seat was a Middle Aged Muslim woman she was wearing the full headscarf. I was getting so sick that I couldn’t hold my head up anymore so I kinda started to lay down on the empty seat. My boyfriend covered me with his blanket and mine. Anyone who has used an airplane blanket knows it’s basically a sheet. You know why this woman does? Without any communication what so ever, she put her blanket on me and rubbed my back till I fell asleep. I cried so hard when she started to rub my back. She was a mom who saw a kid who was sick and needed help. Granted I’m in my 20s but nothing compares to a mom rubbing your back when you’re sick. I don’t think I would have survived that flight without her. I tried to thank her but she didn’t speak any English. But I hope she knows how much that meant to me and how much it taught me.
Once, when my dog was just a few months old, we were out for a walk and we passed this guy on the street who was just leaning against a wall. My dog stopped, and refused to budge. She looked at me, looked up at the guy, then looked back at me and wagged her tail a little. So I said, "Do you want to say hello?" And she turned to the guy and put her paws on his knee. Just for the record, my dog doesn't like people — she's really shy and doesn't approach strangers — so I was kind of surprised that she wanted to interact. The guy bent down and petted her for a minute or two. Then, he stood up, looked at me, and said thank you. The look on his face was so vulnerable, like he was about to cry. That was over a year ago and I think about that guy once in a while. He was so grateful to just pet a cute puppy for a few minutes, and my dog just seemed to know that he needed it.
I was in Manhattan and I had bought a bunch of otc pills to try to commit s**cide. I stepped outside the pharmacy and opened one of the bottles, but I dropped it and the pills went all over the sidewalk. A homeless woman came up and somehow knew what was happening. She grabbed me and kept saying "don't you take all these pills. Don't do this" etc etc. She had me give her the pills and she threw them in a dumpster. I have no idea how she knew what I was planning to do but she probably saved me that night
“Helping others, especially those who are less fortunate than yourself, can help to put things into perspective and make you feel more positive. There is some evidence that being aware of your own acts of kindness, as well as the things you are grateful for, can increase feelings of happiness, optimism, and satisfaction. Doing good may help you to have a more positive outlook about your own circumstances,” writes the Mental Health Foundation.
Furthermore, acts of kindness are contagious. Well, in a way. We’re far more likely to be altruistic ourselves when we witness kindness or are on the receiving end of it. In short, kindness begets kindness.
When I was like 10 or 11, I was outside playing in the sprinklers with my little brother and sister. There was a car crash right in front of our house, women in a yellow VW Bug got t-boned on the driver side.
Her collarbone broke and was sticking out, and had cut an artery. I ran out to try to help (cub scouts I guess, not really sure what I thought I could do at this point.) And she was obviously very distraught and grabbed my hand and wouldn't let go. I watched her bleed to death while holding her hand, and never knew her name.
It was at my year 11 inter-school dance. I had what I can now say was a panic attack and retreated to the bathroom. My best friend tried to get me out, but I couldn't leave. I told her to go back out and I would be fine.
A girl from another school came in and saw I was obviously distressed. She didn't ask me what was wrong or if I was okay. She said she loved my dress and asked me about it. She then told me about hers and we started talking about school and what we wanted to do when we graduated. Her friends eventually came in and found her and she said goodbye. I felt so much better so I went out and joined my friends.
I never got her name and don't remember which school she went to, but I am so incredibly grateful to her and I hope she is having a wonderful life.
On a cold winter day, there was a homeless man sitting on the front steps of the church where I was music director. As I unlocked the door to enter the building for practice, I noticed the man was shivering and looked especially destitute. So I invited him inside and fixed food for him in the parish hall kitchen. I noticed a profound difference after I fed him some food, coffee, and cookies. Also, the church's rummage sale had a heavy winter coat and hat that fit him perfectly, so I gave that to him. As he departed, the man gave me a warm smile, followed by a bear hug — a moment I'll never forget.
Psychotherapist Silva from the United Kingdom explained to Bored Panda that human beings have two opposite instincts within themselves. One of them is directly linked to kindness and altruism. The other relates to survival and the desire to protect ourselves.
In other words, we’re constantly balancing the pros and cons of whether or not we should lend a helping hand (because we fear it might backfire on us in some way).
I was at a bus station a few years back. A girl I didn't know was being bothered by some guy. He was being very pushy and she had a hard time telling him off. I walked up and acted like she was a friend I hadn't seen in a long time. She immediately went with it, and we walked away from the guy but he hovered. So we kept up the act, and we had a conversation as if we were old pals catching up. I learned so much about this girl and her life in those 10 minutes we spoke. I made sure she got on her bus, and the guy disappeared. I never saw her again, but I hope she's still doing well.
I was in a long line at a 7-11 and and old black lady behind me started braiding my hair and humming. When she was done, I said thank you and left with my purchase.
I accidentally made eye contact with another Londoner on the underground once.
I haven't felt so guilty and ashamed in my life.
The therapist listed a number of reasons why being kind and altruistic benefits us and why we’re driven to these behaviors.
“Being kind is good for us because it gives us a sense of purpose, it raises our self-esteem, and it releases feel-good brain chemicals,” he told Bored Panda.
I dropped my keys on the way to my car once. I had just begun to retrace my steps when a dude walked by on the sidewalk. He gave me a small 'Hey' to get my attention, and without hesitation, threw my keys over to me. Mid-flight I said, 'Thank you,' and in one fluid motion, I caught the keys and sat down in the drivers seat. It was so smooth and effortless. Good on that guy, my hero.
I'm a dude in my mid-twenties and I drive for Uber/Lyft. One time, on a really busy night, a young woman got in my car while I had my Guardians of the Galaxy Pandora station playing. We were exchanging simple pleasantries when "American Pie" came on. Now, I don't really sing along with my passengers, or sing in general on account of the fact that I'm not good at singing. But this young woman in my car just started singing along to the song. After a verse or two, I decided to join in. She then started to harmonize with my off-pitch singing. The song ended right as I pulled up to her hotel, we exchanged minimal pleasantries again, and went on our separate ways. I don't even remember her name or face, but I definitely remember the random jam session that was good enough to join in on.
Not quite a stranger as I'd seen this guy around my college. But one day I was waiting outside the classroom between lessons and I was wearing a ring on a strap around my neck that looked kinda like the one ring from Lord of the Rings.
This dude walks past, does a double-take at the ring, looks at it and says "One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them."
Instinctively, I replied "One ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them."
He high-fived me and carried on walking. My friend who was standing next to me at the time called me a f**king dork, but I think he was just jealous.
This was also circa 2002, so before pretty much the same thing happened in Clerks 2.
“It [kindness] is also good for others, obviously. So kindness is actually something that we, humans, are naturally driven to be,” the expert shared how we’re hard-wired to act kindly towards others.
However, there is a catch. While we do tend to want to help other human beings, we’re also wary of strangers. “The sense of kindness is in competition with our survival mode, so, as human beings, we tend to live in contradiction, between kindness (opening our arms) and protection (closing our arms),” he said.
I’m not sure how much this counts but I had lost my passport in China and I met this Chinese girl halfway through my day of mad searching. I spent the rest of my day with her, she told me everything about her really, and she stayed with me for at least 8 hours translating to police for me, calling them and staying with me when we ended up in a police office. She even bought me food because I’d lost all my money as well and insisted I have something. When I finally found my passport and everything at the end of the night I burst into tears and hugged her so tightly and she was just comforting me, telling me ‘Didn’t I say everything would work out? Didn’t I say so?’ She was without a doubt one of the kindest, most generous people I’ve ever met. I bought her a drink, shouted her a snack and walked her home. I never saw her again. Probably never will but I hope she’s well.
I also had a Russian guy help me out that day but I’d know
I once sat next to a middle-aged lady on an airplane. It was her first time flying and she was freaking out. I held her hand and arm through takeoff, landing, and during the slight turbulence during the flight. Normally I'm not a touchy person, but this felt natural.
Saved a girl from a creep on a bus. I was inside at a gas station and I saw that He was hitting on her at the bus stop right outside, obviously getting too close and she wasn’t into him at all. When the bus came, I walked out and boarded with them. He made sure to sit down right next to her lol. I walked and pulled the old “ oh hey (insert made up name here), how are you? Etc. etc.” then I asked if the dude would mind moving so I could sit next to “my friend”. I’m a pretty big dude (6’6” 340lbs) so I can be pretty intimidating when I want to. He moved and I stayed with her till he got off the bus. She thanked me and then I just rode the bus back to the gas station so I could drive home in my car. Never seen her since
Human beings aren’t the only ones capable of altruism and kindness. There’s a case for biological altruism that doesn’t even require a species to have the same level of consciousness as human beings do.
Or, in other words, altruism doesn’t necessarily need kind intent to be altruistic. However, complex social structures seem to lead to more instances of kindness.
I was walking down the street when this white-haired hippie woman looked me up and down and said, 'OK, now I'm going to hug you.' And she did. It was a strong, loving hug. Then she said, 'A lot of people need you to be strong for them. So keep on keepin' on.' And off she went to run her errands. As it turned out, my family went through some rough times soon after, and I was there for them all, though it was a struggle. And now, years later, everyone's doing just fine.
Back in highschool I was on a school trip in a downtown city. I was lighting up my last smoke I had when suddenly a hand tapped me on tbe shoulder. As I turn around I see some 6"5 300 pound black man leaning over me with tears in his eyes. Through a crying stutter he asks in the politest voice ever "excuse me sir could I trouble you for a cigarette".
At this point I tell him I literally just lit my last one and he gives me an understanding nod and walks off. Seeing his sad face broke my hoeart so I tell my friends to give me a smoke each and I run probably 2 blocks away to catch up with this dude. Immediately this man erupts in a smile and thanks me over and over after the warmest hug ever. I have no idea why he was crying but I know we both had a great appreciation for each other that day.
Former EMT here. I remember crying with a family whose grandfather got his pulse back after five minutes of me giving him CPR. Unfortunately, he didn't survive the brain damage, but they were so grateful to me for giving them a chance to say goodbye.
“Vampire bats regularly regurgitate blood and donate it to other members of their group who have failed to feed that night, ensuring they do not starve. In numerous bird species, a breeding pair receives help in raising its young from other ‘helper’ birds, who protect the nest from predators and help to feed the fledglings,” the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy shares some examples of altruistic behaviors in animals.
“Vervet monkeys give alarm calls to warn fellow monkeys of the presence of predators, even though in doing so they attract attention to themselves, increasing their personal chance of being attacked.”
I got into a car with a stranger who was asking for directions so I could show him the way — in hindsight, a little naïve and would not recommend. We ended up spending the entire day together. I talked about all of my problems, including my inferiority complex, with him. He had a degree in psychology so he gave me some useful tips. Afterwards, we became kind of friends. It's crazy how sometimes a complete stranger can care about you more than some of your 'friends.'
Went to a wedding the weekend just gone. Spot a guy across the room at the start of the evening do and felt something I haven't felt in a very long time. At some point get talking to him and we end up spending the whole evening laughing and we go back to his room. Now I haven't slept with anyone for over 2 years and am currently in psychosexual therapy because I've been too frightened to have sex due to past trauma. I basically prattled off with my whole life story and it ended with me feeling comfortable enough to sleep with him. Anyway it was a one night stand and I doubt he felt the same way I did about the evening and night. He'll never know how much he helped me in a single evening. It's been such a long time I've felt intimate with anyone. It was a pleasant reminder of what it's like and how good it can be.
I used to live abroad a couple of years ago and when I came back to my "new" country after being home for Christmas I was waiting for the airport bus to go into town.
While I was waiting there a woman my age (~20) comes up and asks me if I know the way to the airport bus and as I did we ended up waiting together there and then sat next to each other on the bus. She was so easy to talk to. The bus was about 50 minutes and we got talking really deep and it felt super natural. Then we got to the main station in town and we looked each other in the eyes and kissed before wishing each other well and going on our separate ways. I'm thinking of her quite often still, years later and it pains me that I didn't take her number or anything - just her name, Katja.
However I feel that maybe this is what made it so special, 2 strangers in a random country sharing 1 hour by destiny while sharing intimate stories and feeling connected in a way that I have not experienced before or after. Maybe she was my soul mate but in that case I'm sure we will meet again.
This altruistic behavior extends to insects, too. “In social insect colonies (ants, wasps, bees, and termites), sterile workers devote their whole lives to caring for the queen, constructing and protecting the nest, foraging for food, and tending the larvae. Such behavior is maximally altruistic: sterile workers obviously do not leave any offspring of their own—so have personal fitness of zero—but their actions greatly assist the reproductive efforts of the queen.”
Apart from being groped by hands elderly women, the most interesting moment was when I met a drunk one sad saturday a few years ago.
I was depressed and just milling about downtown. Stopped to have a beer and this drunk guy walks up to me, completely unfiltered. He goes "I got fired and none of my friends came to cheer me up. Wanna chug a beer and complain?". I agreed, being depressed myself.
Turns out this guy knew bartenders all around town. We went from bar to bar and got all kinds of preferential treatment. Free drinks, great seats and plenty of freebies. Turns out this guy was a local sports personality. Assistant coach, I think?
Note; I'm an unappealing fat dude. This guy was married with kids. There was absolutely no romantics involved. He just needed a bro to talk to.
We hung out all night, and he actually gave me good advice. We had a surprising amount of common interests and talked about everything. At the end of the night, we exchanged numbers and said we'd do it again if he didn't have to move to get a new job. Sadly, I never saw him again. I hope he's okay.
There's just another type of intimacy meeting a new friend and immediately dropping all filters. It was unique.
You sound very appealing. Skinny guys aren't for everyone. Not fun to dine with, either!
When I was 11 my dog got hit by a car the dude kept going but this very nice woman stopped and got in contact with my parents and made sure I was okay. I was crying so hard and she just let me cry into her shoulder till my parents got there
Once when I was in a public bathroom, a very pregnant lady was there with her two young daughters. Neither of the girls could reach the sink to wash their hands, and the mom was too pregnant to be lifting them. I'm a mom, so I offered. I held the girls up one at a time while they each washed and dried their hands and then sent them back to mom.
I was on a ski lift with a total stranger. For whatever reason we started talking about our respective faiths almost immediately, but in a totally chill kind of way, without any weirdness or awkwardness. The dude then admitted he was going through a pretty rough patch and was doing some soul searching as a result. I offered my consolations and encouraged him to open up if he wanted to, which is out of character for me since I'm an introvert.
So then this dude, who I had just met as we sat down on a ski lift, opened up and told me all about his struggles. I won't repeat what he said, as almost all of it was deeply personal, but he really did have it rough. Some of it was his fault, he acknowledged, but most of it was out of his control. He started tearing up at the end and had to remove his ski goggles just to wipe away the tears. As we neared the top, he thanked me for listening and gave me a coupon for a free hot chocolate from a restaurant on the slopes.
I wished him the best of luck with what he was going through and told him he seemed like an outstanding guy who had it in him to make it through this. He thanked me again, then we both parted ways. I never saw him again, but I truly hope things got better for him.
When I was about 14, I was at a road-stop restaurant with my family, and from the moment we entered, I made eye contact with this girl about my age at another table. Our eyes just kept meeting while we were eating and I couldn't really focus on what anyone in my family was saying. When we left the place, I looked over my shoulder outside, and met her eyes one last time. I held it for a good 10–15 seconds before my mother called me over to the car. I still think of her sometimes.
A homeless woman in front of a Wal-Mart asked me for a dollar because she was trying to scrape up 10 dollars for food I think but I gave her all the physical money I had on me which was 7 dollars. She was happy that she received so much from one person and extended her arms out for a hug. I gave her a hug and wished her luck then went on about my day. It makes me sad to see homeless people living the way that they do so I try to help out wherever I can.
Normally I just lurk on here, this is my first post and it will probably get buried but this event really changed my outlook on life so I wanted to share it with you all.
During my first week of uni I was super excited to meet new people and make best friends. I'd had a very traumatic experience that summer and so was looking forward to a new start. I'd always been sociable and never had trouble with this but for some reason I just didn't click with anyone I met in my halls. I felt completely out of place and combatted this by throwing myself into any social activity I could. But it didn't work. I felt like it was my fault, that I wasn't fun or interesting or likeable enough. At pre drinks I felt completely invisible, I remember thinking that noone would make eye contact with me. It's hard to convey over this post, but I felt desperate, and the most down I had ever felt in my life.
After another cr**py night where I had gone out and felt so our of place that I just walked home alone, in the morning I sat outside and called my mum, and just broke down in tears about how lonely I felt. After a few minutes this lady came up to me, handed me a note, patted my shoulder and left. The note simply said that she hoped I was ok, with her name and where she worked in the university, and to go and see her if I wanted.
I went to see her and, although she was a total stranger, opened up to her about everything. She was so incredibly kind, and shared her own difficult experiences with me too. I went to see her a few more times, and although I ended up dropping out of that university after things just didn't improve, I will never forget her. She gave me hope when I had absolutely zero self esteem, and has inspired me to do the same whenever I come across people who seem sad.
Whenever I feel like my small actions don't have an impact I remember her, and how her small action that day changed my life for the better :)
Hugging the mother of one of my U.S. Marine brothers at his funeral after he committed suicide. I had never met her before but her son was my brother.
Not sure how intimate you consider a club to be, but I was on the dance floor when a woman in a red dress made eye contact with me. We smiled at each other, she came over. No words were exchanged, we just start dancing on each other. She ends up in my arms, and I feel every inch of her curvaceous body as she reaches up to caress my face. Eventually in what I can only describe as dumbfounded ecstasy, I ask what her name was.
"It doesn't matter, we won't see each other again."
In that moment while she's looking at me process her answer, I get hit with a realization to enjoy this moment for the fullest while I'm still in it. We smile at each other as if she knows exactly what I just thought and we dance for a few more songs. Her friend comes over and says something, and she turns to me and whispers "You're great. I loved that but I have to go with my friends". In a room where I can hardly hear people shouting directly in front of me, I heard that clear as day. She kissed me and sure enough, just as she disappeared into the crowd, I never saw her again. Still think about her from time to time.
I saw this beautiful and smiling woman on the side of a dance floor. I, a young man wearing jump boots and a green mohawk on a ship, slowly danced over to her. We danced without speaking for hours. The music stopped and we started to talk. She spoke very little English and I ok French. well, blah blah blah 20 years and 2 kids later.
Was on a plane on my way to work (worked overseas for a few years) in Barcelona, this older woman kept telling me it was her first time on a plane and looked clearly nervous, so I told her the take off was the worst part, after that, just take a nap or watch a movie, she asked me if I could hold her hand, I saw no harm and agreed, she didn't let go of my hand for the rest of the flight, I held hands with this stranger for longer than I did with all my Exes combined.
Once while in Amsterdam, late in the evening I decided to try hitchhiking at the bicycle lane. A cool guy stopped and rode me to my hostel 30 minutes away. Great guy, a surgeon at a hospital, coming back from his night shift. It was a nice chat we had. :))
I politely said to a man in the post office “excuse me sir there is a line,” he replied “f**k you, you stupid b****” I broke down in tears after he left, I was having a very very bad day. The lady in line in front of me turned around and hugged me while I cried, told me he was mean and that it would be ok. I still get a little choked up thinking about her kindness in that moment.
I love when other customers stick up for you! I try to do it for cashiers that are getting a hard time.
After college, I spent a year in Japan teaching English as a second language. On some time off, I went to see the city of Nara. At the train station, I was asking for directions at the tourist information kiosk, and before I knew it, they'd hooked me up with a volunteer tour guide...a service they provide.
We wound up throwing out the designated tour that she was supposed to take me on, and we wound up just goofin' around Nara for the day.
Today is the 24th anniversary of me forgetting to do my taxes on time. I ran with my documents to the downtown Denver tax office and found a crowd of equally irresponsible people. Once the crowd and I had acquired the forms we needed, we scattered off to fill them out. I found myself sharing a pen with a young woman, doing our taxes together, on the hood of her car. We helped each other, line by line, go through our pathetic financial documents. We parted ways and I never talked to her again.
I was on a country rail trip when this woman next to me who looked like she hasn't slept in a week fell asleep on my shoulders. I didn't want to wake her up but I was in a weird position that put strain on my back and neck. But I endured a painful hour and a half because I'm guy who respects a good nap.
A customer went to give me a fist bump; I went for a high five. We just stood there for a moment, me holding his fist in my hand
I remember the time I ended up sharing a hotel room with three other strangers. When I was in law school and was flying back to New Orleans, my flight got diverted to Birmingham due to fog. We had to stay overnight and no one really knew what to do. I found myself in a hotel lobby with three other student-aged people — two guys and one other girl — and we decided to bunk together to save money. It wound up being a fun night — we drake booze, ate food, stayed up talking, and then we all went to sleep innocently enough. The next morning we got on our flight and I never heard from them again.
I just spent 5 days in NYC for vacation. At a bar on Fridaynight before my friends and I attended a show in Williamsburg we stopped in at a random bar, where I started chatting up the cute hostess. We had good chemistry and continued to talk while my friends enjoyed their drinks. As we left, I got her number.
We met in Soho on the first 70 degree day of the year, not a cloud in the sky. After going into too many stores we couldn't afford, we meandered our way to Washington Square, where we spent our last 2 hours together laying in the sun and talking about our dreams, lives, and aspirations and we laid side by side while she read me her favorite passages out of the book she was almost finished with.
Then I walked her to her train and kissed her goodbye.
It's possible, if not likely, that we may never see each other again, but I'll never forget the way the sun felt on my skin and the way her soft reading voice made it feel like we were the only two people in a crowded park on a beautiful day in New York.
Endoscopy. Had a chat with a chap about Game of Thrones who was looking at my intestines through a camera shoved up my ***hole.
I'm a guy in my early 20s. I was at a bar and someone stole my jacket during the winter in Chicago. I was standing at the train stop freezing in -5 degrees F and a started talking to a girl standing next to me that went out without her jacket and was also freezing. We ended up riding the train together and she told me she wasn't from Chicago and was staying with a friend. She ended up spending the night but we didn't do anything sexual. Just chatted about our lives and fell asleep. She woke up and had to get back to her friends to catch her flight later that day. I still think about it as a random intimate experience
Yeah it doesn't require sex to be intimate. Actually some of my most intimate experiences have not included sex.
i was on the subway & some girl who seemed to be from a 3rd world country seemed curious so when i was putting my earphones on, i gave her an earbud & we listened to my music together
I had a man pull me aside at an agility dog show (I was a 'leash runner' volunteer) and asked me if I would run his dog, as he had an injured knee, and felt bad that his dog wasn't able to run to its content. His willingness to throw the competition to make sure his dog could have fun, and a newbie could get some experience melted my heart. We were only one point away from qualifying :3
When I was a kid, maybe 9 or 10, my sister and I were walking through Harlem (the nice part) and I had completely tripped and fell on the sidewalk, busting my lip. I started to bleed and my sister only 17 at the time started to panic. A woman passes us by and asks if everything is okay, and eventually helps us. Luckily she lived in the basement apartment of the brownstone I had fell in front of. She and her husband who was home with their 3 year old proceeded to bring out a first aid kit, and even a glass of lemonade. We thanked her profusely, and went on our way home. Still warms my heart to this day.
At a free improv class, a warmup exercise where you had to add on to a chain of sound effects and hand shakes with your partner repeatedly, in rhythm. Required a lot of eye contact, and a surprising amount of vulnerability, because it was rather silly. Also a ton of laughs.
Dancing Dan. If you're out there, I wish I knew your real name.
Went to get a couple slices of pizza from the place close to my house. The dude repeated "2 slices for you, right?" and i just nodded then saw him put 4 slices in the bag and handed it to me.
So yea, got 2 free slices when we both agreed i asked for 2.
My great-grandmother almost got fired for giving a customer an extra Danish because they baked particularly small that day. The a**hole customer actually turned her into the boss for giving her an extra.
About ten years ago or so I got happy drunk with one of my roommates and we hung out on the porch. A couple guys passed by and we started talking to them because one looked familiar (they lived nearby so I'd seen him walking home before). They were headed home for some drinks so we stupidly joined these random strangers that we'd been having conversation with and they made us grilled cheese (I think? Maybe it was Mac and cheese) while we drunkenly discussed things like religion and Jesus and ourselves (I'm not really religious, just grew up that way and like listening to what people believe). And then we went home.
It was nice.
Flying home a few years back we land at Newark only to find out the final leg of our trip was cancelled due to weather. We were only about 200 miles from our destination which would have been about a 45 minute flight. The weather was fine at the moment and we probably could have made the flight just fine but the airline wasn't taking any chances. Since the flight was cancelled due to weather they wouldn't give us hotel vouchers. We were re-booked onto the flight in the morning.
I didn't want to spend 15 hours in the airport. I decided to go rent a car and just drive home. I'd get my checked luggage tomorrow since it would be put on the re-booked flight. I was on the phone with my wife telling her what I was doing when I noticed this older lady quite upset about the situation.
I'm not usually one to speak to strangers or go out of my way to help someone I don't know. But something about the situation sparked something in me. I told her I had rented a car and had space available if she wanted to ride with me. She was really grateful and said yes. Then, as we're headed out of the airport we see a couple that was on our previous flight just sitting on the ground looking totally defeated. So we offered for them to join us, which they accepted. The 3+ hour drive home was r
Let me finish this for you: “The 3+ hour drive home was really amazing and now we all meet up once a year and have become long-distance friends!”
The summer before middle school I was at a friend's party and it went on for a while and near the end I was outside by the fire laying on a hay bale and this girl a grade below me I knew her name but never talked to before just came over layed down next to me grabbed my hand and we just layed there looking at the stars it was amazing. Thinking logically it seems pretty weird she'd do that but for some reason it felt super comforting.
I once got stuck in an elevator for 4 hours with 3 other people. It was a tiny elevator as well with standing room only.
By the end of it we were all leaning on each other in a big circle holding each other up.
There's this thing called "eye contact experiment", which is getting more and more popular the last few years. Mostly events conducted on squares where lots of people are present, just to sit down and share eye contact. It's only an "experiment" in view of the fact that you hold eye contact with the other person (in that case complete strangers also attending the event) over a prolonged period (a minute is always recommended just as a guideline, but of course it can be any duration. my longest shareed session was about 30 minutes). Aside from that, eye contact is one of the most primal, natural and intimate means of communication, which is what makes prolonged eye contact so special. What starts to happen can be quite unbelievable. First of all, due to focussing and holding one's view on the same spot, mild hallucinations can occur, for example seeing animals' faces or fictive creature's faces in the facial expression of the other person. At the same time, through the constant exchange and reaction microexpressions in the face and the body posture (or vibes if you will) of the person you're facing, interpersonal communication is enhanced to an enormous extent, as if the energies on multiple levels between you and the other become increasingly synchronized. The boundaries between your personalites blur, and facets of your ego even are dissolved temporarily, the more intimacy one allows in sheer eye contact. Just like in meditation (but with it's positive side effects scaled up multiple times), you start recognizing and feeling patterns (of thought, emotion, behavior, etc.) as a shell covering yourself, while at the same time your perspective on the human counterpart becomes more and more open, non-judgmental, empathic, etc. Knowing when to stop occurs at a sudden moment, and always consensually.
I've had about 20 of these experiences with complete strangers by now, and every time it was beyond intimate. It would be great if more people would be aware of the "concept" and the benefits of eye contact, and if it wouldn't appear creepy to just walk up to somebody and ask to share some eye contact.
I went to NY for New Year's and forgot to pack my anti-depressants. I was there for 4 days. On the way back home, I decided to watch The Color Purple on my phone. I was already a bit on edge having not had my meds, and I was just openly sobbing, watching the movie. The woman next to me kept silently reaching over and patting my hand. It was so sweet!
Was on a plane, the turbulence was getting pretty rough, plane dropped a little bit. The left arm rest was already occupied by the passengers hand but I grabbed it anyway out of fear. It stayed that way until the turbulence stopped which was like two seconds and then I immediately took it away. She didn't say anything and neither did I.
I already posted this to a different thread... I ran out of money and walked into a bakery and pretend I don't speak English... it was late and I was hoping they'd have some leftover food.... asked in a very bad English if they could maybe give me something to eat (I had some change in my pocket so I gave her)... the girl that was working was really cute and just smiled at me and gave me the best slice of pizza I've ever had.
I got into some girl's car by accident. I was driving a rental and she had an identical car parked in the same lot. She immediately saw the problem and was cool about it. That lead to a 15 minute convo.
Your keys opened her car’s door? That’s just wrong! Don’t use that agency again.
I was at a mixed nude sauna across from Amsterdam Central Station at night,and went out to the roof top patio when it was snowing. It was quiet,above the crowds, and a slender Dutch girl came out next to me. We were both warm and steaming from the saunas,looking down. We never said a word. Also,at another mixed sauna there,walking through the showers a fit girl got hit with burning hot water and she jumped backwards and we bumped bare butts. I kind of whispered "sorry". Sounds like a sexual fantasy until it happens IRL.
A woman wearing Completely white makeup with black lipstick gently caressed my arm as i passed her on the street. Not sure if i should be freaked out or simply ok with it lol.
A theatre exercise in which one person lies on the floor looking up, and the other kneels near the first's head and touches their forehead/face. You then have to keep eye contact for a full minute.
Also, upopular opinion: one night stands are not intimate in the meaningful sense of the word.
Agreed. Not one bit. Great line from The War of the Roses: Kathleen Turner's character says to Michael Douglas' character after they were intimate "If we end up together this was the most romantic evening of my life. And if we don't, then I'm the world's biggest s**t."
Once I was waiting for a bus to take me from home to university and there was this older guy at the same bus stop. For whatever reason the app which tracks the bus location in real time wasn’t really working so the both of us kept sitting there thinking it would arrive any moment (it didn’t show up for at least 40 mins). While waiting we struck up a conversation and he said he had never seen me around the area before (I had just moved to that suburb about a month prior).
He told me he’d been living there his whole life and when he found out how old I was, casually mentioned that a few years before I was born, some guy sneaked a machete and some guns into the local shopping plaza and went on a murder spree before holding a gun to a woman’s head and forcing her to escort him out of the area in her car. By the end of his rampage the police had started to arrive and when he realised there was no way out of the plaza without getting caught, he simply apologised to the woman, stepped out of her car and shot himself in the head in front of her.
Turns out the woman was this bus stop guys school teacher and he knew a few of the people that died. He told me the entire aftermath of the police investigation into the killer and a bunch more testimonials of people he knew that witnessed it first hand. Almost felt like I was there too with the detail he went into.
It seems somewhat odd because in the twenty something years since this horrific event, the suburb has become increasingly more Korean in population and is now more known for froyo chain stores and kbbq that imagining a white gunman here is so out of place.
Talking to this girl at a music festival. It was sunrise and everyone had been up all night. Someone was playing s**tty cover songs around the bon fire. We didnt know eachother but we were talking about love and other silly stuff. At one point she let me take a deep smell of her hair. It was intimate.
New year's about 8 years back I think. In the city beyond pissed fireworks are done and gone people are just walking around singing and hugging each other. I lose my friends as I got distracted I fall in with some people they are really nice and help me get to the train station where I was meeting my friends again.
Gay male here, kind of NSFW-ish, but i was at the subway and it was super crowded, and i had this man right in front of me, and whenever people went to pass, he moved his body all over mine, and kept staring right at my eyes, no faces, no moaning, not a single word, just him (every now and then) pressing his body to mine and looking right at my eyes.
I felt a strange connection with him, but he got off the subway and i never saw him again.
Way back in the mid 90s, I’m walking back from one club to another with a friend after dropping in to see her boyfriend at work, I’m all dressed up in black, full goth makeup, she’s dressed up in pants, shirt and vest, we have a stretch limo pull up and a group of guys tell us we look good and would we care to take a drive around the city with them? We look at each other thinking wtf and then why not, probably our one chance to experience a limo ride, so we get in and there’s about 6 guys all in their 20s, drinking and listening to good music, and not one of them lays a hand on us, just asks us how our night is, offering us drinks and telling us how cool is it to have a ride in a limousine? We ride around for about half an hour and then they offer to drop us off at the other club and damn me if I didn’t feel like a freakin rock star with the driver opening the door for us, offering a hand to help us out, right by the club’s front door! Best night out :)
That sounds super fun! I wanna ride in a limo one day, never been in one :(
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I was receiving an award and my boyfriend had decided at the last minute not to come to the ceremony with me so I was alone that night. I was in the bathroom and nervous and upset and I was going to have to give a speech in a few minutes. I was trying talk myself into being confident and this older lady came and used the restroom and when she came out of the stall and washed her hands, she came over to me, straightened my dress a little around my waist and shoulders and put her hands on my face, looked me right in the eyes and said, "You are beautiful and you are going to be great at whatever you do. Now take a deep breath and do what you have to do." I immediately felt all of my stress leave my body as I exhaled. I don't think I would have made it through the rest of the night if it hadn't been for her and her motherly, pure kindness towards me.
At the end of the 80's I went through a "wild phase"... something between goth and punk I would say. I had missed the last bus. So there I was standing in the cold November rain. Drenched, freezing, in a long black coat and high boots, with mascara stray... trying to hitchhike, hoping not to miss the last train home. I had no hope that anyone would stop... I probably wouldn't have stopped either. Then this fancy Jaguar pulled up, with an elderly lady at the wheel... and she told me to "hop in". At first I didn't want to, because I didn't want to ruin the beautiful leather seats... but she insisted. She drove me to the train station, gave me a towel to at least dry myself off a bit and turned on the heat... to stop my teeth from chattering. While we were talking, she told me that back in the 60's, she was "a wild bee" herself... which I undoubtedly believed, given the fact that we were listening to a Clash album. I still remember her face and the beautiful earrings she wore ... and the smell of that car was just something else.
Way back in the mid 90s, I’m walking back from one club to another with a friend after dropping in to see her boyfriend at work, I’m all dressed up in black, full goth makeup, she’s dressed up in pants, shirt and vest, we have a stretch limo pull up and a group of guys tell us we look good and would we care to take a drive around the city with them? We look at each other thinking wtf and then why not, probably our one chance to experience a limo ride, so we get in and there’s about 6 guys all in their 20s, drinking and listening to good music, and not one of them lays a hand on us, just asks us how our night is, offering us drinks and telling us how cool is it to have a ride in a limousine? We ride around for about half an hour and then they offer to drop us off at the other club and damn me if I didn’t feel like a freakin rock star with the driver opening the door for us, offering a hand to help us out, right by the club’s front door! Best night out :)
That sounds super fun! I wanna ride in a limo one day, never been in one :(
Load More Replies... I was receiving an award and my boyfriend had decided at the last minute not to come to the ceremony with me so I was alone that night. I was in the bathroom and nervous and upset and I was going to have to give a speech in a few minutes. I was trying talk myself into being confident and this older lady came and used the restroom and when she came out of the stall and washed her hands, she came over to me, straightened my dress a little around my waist and shoulders and put her hands on my face, looked me right in the eyes and said, "You are beautiful and you are going to be great at whatever you do. Now take a deep breath and do what you have to do." I immediately felt all of my stress leave my body as I exhaled. I don't think I would have made it through the rest of the night if it hadn't been for her and her motherly, pure kindness towards me.
At the end of the 80's I went through a "wild phase"... something between goth and punk I would say. I had missed the last bus. So there I was standing in the cold November rain. Drenched, freezing, in a long black coat and high boots, with mascara stray... trying to hitchhike, hoping not to miss the last train home. I had no hope that anyone would stop... I probably wouldn't have stopped either. Then this fancy Jaguar pulled up, with an elderly lady at the wheel... and she told me to "hop in". At first I didn't want to, because I didn't want to ruin the beautiful leather seats... but she insisted. She drove me to the train station, gave me a towel to at least dry myself off a bit and turned on the heat... to stop my teeth from chattering. While we were talking, she told me that back in the 60's, she was "a wild bee" herself... which I undoubtedly believed, given the fact that we were listening to a Clash album. I still remember her face and the beautiful earrings she wore ... and the smell of that car was just something else.
