The Crowd

I found this on a blog I had several years ago. It was the only post.

It is amazing how many people we see in a day, how many nameless faces we pass in one day. Today I met a woman named Sophia in St. Louis. I am staying at a hotel with my family this weekend so we can all see my sister march in a competition. I was downstairs in the lobby and this short, wobbly sort of woman was pacing behind my chair. She was weighed down with three different tote bags, coats and a pink address book. She came up and asked me if the antique looking phones in the lobby worked. I told her I didn't know. She sighed and so I offered her the use of my cell phone. She graciously accepted and after a short tutorial made a call. "Maria? Is that you?" she plead into the phone. Apparently it wasn't, for she hung up the phone and dialed another number. Finally she reached a recognizable voice and began a conversation. She told the person that she was in St. Louis and that she didn't have enough money to afford the hotel, because the cost was higher than she estimated. She said that she couldn't reach Maria, her sister, in order to use her credit card. She got teary, saying that her dad didn't give her enough money, fearing she would leave the country. The conversation concluded with Sophia telling the other person that she wasn't calling to ask for money, but simply to say hi and tell Maria to call her as soon as possible. She handed me back her phone but I told her that she could use it as long as she wanted, that it was after seven and I had free minutes. She took the phone back and continued to make calls. After about ten minutes the situation seemed to be partially resolved because when she handed back my phone she smiled.
She smiled at me, saying that she wished she was my age, but instead she was 48. She began asking me questions. What is your name, how old are you, are you here with your parents. I answered them all and she told me I was lucky to be here with my parents. After our conversation dwindled she twisted toward the window. Her eyes glazed over and she seemed to be thinking deeply.
I don't know anything about Sophia except that she has a sister named Maria and a dad who won't give her enough money. But my interaction with this four foot 10 woman made me realize a simple, concrete fact. There are so many people in the world who struggle with many things I take for granted. My family checked into a room today without having to ask others for money, we ate an expensive, excellent dinner and my family is with me constantly. Sometimes reality smacks you in the face. It is a cliche reality but a reality nonetheless. I dont know what will happen to Sophia tomorrow. I don't know if she will make it back to California, if she will make it to John's award ceremony, the reason that she is in St. Louis she told me. I will probably never see Sophia again. But there are millions of Sophias, millions of nameless faces with a deep story.