prompts for april 2026

Write about a stranger who left a lasting impression on you. (Thanks Rojie for the prompt!)

It’s been more than ten years and I’m still talking about him so I guess that counts for a lasting impression right?

We ended up sitting together on the one hour flight from Winnipeg to Thompson in early 2014. I had been in the city for a work thing and he lived in the city and was on his way up north for a work thing.

The plane was not very big. Maybe ten rows of seats, two seats on each side of the aisle. It’s…intimate, casually intimate.

He was friendly, and I am friendly, and we got to talking about work. Also my fear of flying. Which he chuckled at. I felt at ease. Plus he was very easy on the eyes.

After discussing work, we moved onto family. I told him that I had 3 kids (this was pre-Sid), and was recently separated. I talked just on the surface about navigating the separation, on the surface for an oversharer for sure.

Then he said he was married and had one son. Next he said “well I had two sons but now I have one.” His affect completely changed. He looked sad.

Then he admitted that was the first time he’d said that sentence out loud, to anyone. He got tears in his eyes.

I was so moved.

He apologized. I said oh my gosh, no apology needed. He went on to explain that he’d lost one son to suicide, how he and the other son came home to find him gone. It had been less than six months. The emotions were of course so raw and on the surface.

I’ll never forget that moment. With a stranger. Discussing something so personal and heartbreaking.

On a plane.