It was culture day at the school I work at. A beautiful event in a very diverse school of perhaps 60% Muslims in West London. Lining the streets on the way to the school for a couple of years now, since the London riots, have been St George’s cross flags- a sneering and deliberate message to the children at the school for a minority of locals, that they are not welcome. As a Muslim, I have felt that too. The greater divisiveness, the looks, the wondering whether the person in front of me is scowling because they’ve just had a bad day or if they’re ready to launch into an assault as to why I should not be in ‘this country.’ On this particular day, I was wearing a very bright Moroccan outfit and I was going for my lunchtime walk with my headphones on. As I rounded the corner, a white man indicated to me to take off the headphones because he wanted to speak to me. I didn’t want a confrontation, but I tensed and took them off. He beamed at me and said ‘that’s such a beautiful dress, you look lovely!’ This small gesture of connection meant so much to me. My shoulders relaxed and I felt tears come to my eyes. I beamed at him. I wonder if he knows how important that exchange was for me.
A stranger completely restored my faith in people.
Daily writing prompt
What’s a moment when a stranger completely restored your faith in people?