Funny Holidays - Day of Random Travel Companions

Random Travel Companions Day is celebrated annually on January 13th This unusual holiday is dedicated to the people who constantly accompany us on the road, no matter on the daily commute to work or on a long journey It is random people, strangers to us, who sit on the next seat on the bus, or are nearby in a subway car, plane, or train We don’t remember most of these fellow travelers and don’t pay attention to them But these are the people who can play an important role in our lives This happens as follows: • Necessary assistance The modern world is such that in an emergency situation, most likely, it will not be family members or friends who will be nearby, but strangers They are the ones who will call an ambulance for someone who becomes ill during the trip They can prevent crime, protect against hooligans, and provide the necessary support The mere presence of other people nearby is often a guarantee of safety in itself These are random fellow travelers who give up their seat to a person who is not feeling well, help calm a crying child, or share water or wet wipes • Interesting, and sometimes very useful, communication A random fellow traveler may turn out to be a truly extraordinary person or an expert in some industry By talking with him, you can turn a banal trip into a fascinating lecture, consultation on an issue of interest, or simply an exchange of life stories In such a banal way, life can bring us together with a talented musician or artist, a physicist who is passionate about his work, a competent lawyer or psychotherapist Experienced travelers are of particular interest They will tell you about the places they have already visited, and advise where exactly and in what month it is better to go on vacation In general, the importance of random travel companions is difficult to overestimate After all, a person is social, often looking for communication among his environment And not only a permanent environment, but also a temporary one that developed randomly There is even a term called "fellow traveler syndrome" or "fellow traveler effect" This is the name for the inherent frankness of people in communicating with a person they accidentally meet on the road Indeed, it is often easier to discuss your problems with a stranger The fellow traveler syndrome has objective reasons: 1 There is no need to “show face” in front of a passenger you meet somewhere along the way There is no point in maintaining a certain image, because the fellow traveler is simply not familiar with your image Therefore, it is easier to show your weakness and uncertainty in front of him, to be sincere and vulnerable 2 You won't meet again Accordingly, the interlocutor will not be able to somehow really influence your destiny And he simply won’t judge you for not taking his advice, won’t say “I told you so” 3 A stranger can sometimes give useful and unexpected advice He is able to assess the situation “from the outside”, to look at it from a point of view that is atypical for you This is why advice from a random fellow traveler is sometimes more correct than from someone from your immediate circle Of course, communicating with random fellow travelers is not always pleasant We have all encountered intrusive or simply unpleasant people on public transport In this case, you can, completely unwittingly, find out all the details of someone else’s life, receive unsolicited advice and assessment of your actions But such experience can also be useful It will be a good reason to finally learn how to build personal boundaries and hone your communication skills As practice shows, you can come to an agreement with almost any person Especially if you will not be in contact with him for a long time, but only during a trip on public transport