Skip to main content

Kind Stranger


I was walking to the campus and while walking, replying to a few emails at the same time. This is a very bad habit I picked up recently. If I’m not cycling, I usually listen to stuff while walking and since I have to multitask, I also check messages and emails and respond to things I can quickly. Especially if it doesn’t require many brain cells or thinking processes. Of course, nothing is so urgent it can’t wait the thirty minutes it takes to reach my office. But I justify it as lightening my workload.

When I first started writing emails regularly as part of my job, I would reread them five times, terrified of unintentionally offending someone. My most irrational fear was coming across as rude due to language barriers. On top of that, most of my emails were addressed to people far senior to me, which only added to my anxiety. Over time, though, this fear faded. Now, I’m much more relaxed.

I usually end my emails with “Kind regards.” I’ve never used “Best wishes” or “Warm regards”—not sure why, but “Kind regards” has been my go-to since I started writing professional emails. Sometimes, when I type emails on my phone, Outlook predicts what I’m going to write. Today, when I typed “Kind,” it suggested “Stranger.” That word stuck with me. What does it mean?

I am sort of a kind stranger though, if you think about it. I mean, I always begin my emails by hoping the email finds them well or asking if they had a good weekend. I bring them an opportunity, offer my support, and thank them in advance—even when they haven’t done anything yet. I even apologise sometimes for potential inconveniences. Who does that? No one. If this doesn’t make me a kind stranger, I don’t know what else does. So, in a way, I am actually the kindest stranger.

Wouldn’t it be funny if I actually wrote “Kind stranger” one day? Just once. Imagine the other person’s reaction—confused but amused, maybe even smiling. Unfortunately, my “professional self” would never allow it, but I wish it would. I wish I could accidentally do it just once, purely for the sake of lighting the other person’s face up for a brief moment.

Let’s face it: most emails in the workplace are boring. They lack sincerity, personality, and soul. I live for moments when someone adds a funny “Out of Office” message or sneaks an emoji into an email. Those tiny gestures can make my day. I try to do the same, adding small personal touches wherever I can. If someone’s on holiday, I ask if they enjoyed their time off. If they’re on sick leave, I wish them a speedy recovery. It may not seem like much, but a little bit of personal touch can work wonders.  

I’m desperately waiting for the day the universe will conspire to make me accidentally type “Kind stranger.” Just once. And maybe, just maybe, it’ll make someone smile on the other side of the screen.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

YLSY Sürecim

Üniversite üçüncü sınıf. Aziz hoca bir dersimizde “Türkiye'de akademisyen olabilmenin yolları”nı anlatıyor. O zaman bunun için 3 yol var: ÖYP, cari alımlar ve MEB bursu. O gün MEB bursunu duyunca çok heyecanlandığımı hatırlıyorum. Anneme anlatıyorum hemen, 6 sene çok fazla diyor; babam, Türkiye'de bir iş sahibi olmamı söylüyor. Benim için hiç kolay bir ikna süreci olmuyor. Kendimi ifade etme çabalarım hala gözümün önünden gitmiyor.  Bir sene sonra ÖYP kaldırılıyor. Yıkılıyorum. Sonra mezun oluyorum. Sonra 2016 yılında ilk kez YLSY tercih kılavuzu yayınlanıyor. İçinde özel hukuk yok. Benim hukuku sevme nedenim olan özel hukuk yok. Başvurmuyorum. Ama gerçekten çok üzülüyorum. Aradan birkaç ay geçiyor. Yıldırım Beyazıt Üniversitesi'ne yüksek lisansa kabul ediliyorum. Ve YLSY'yi tamamen unutuyorum. Çok güzel bir yüksek lisans dönemi... Hocalarımı çok seviyorum. Okulumu çok seviyorum. Beni gerçekten tatmin ediyor. Sonra staj başlatıyorum. Yüksek lisans ve stajı aynı...
14 comments
Read more

I TOLD MY STORY!

If you ask me what’s the coolest thing I’ve ever done in my life, I’d say, “Which one? I’ve done so many cool things!” But if you said, “Come on, be serious now,” I’d tell you: the day I told my story. That was the day I felt the bravest, coolest, and most inspired. It all started when one of my close friends invited me to the  TOUCH Network storytelling event. I was like, “Cool, let’s go.” I didn’t have any expectations, good or bad, except that I knew we’d see some farm animals since the event was taking place on a farm. So we went. It was a storytelling event, as advertised, but not just random storytelling. Four people talked about struggles they had overcome in life, how they did it, and what we could take from it. It was basically like TED Talks, but with fewer spotlights and more human touch. If you know me, you know I’m all about human connection, deep conversations, and touchy subjects. So I was so happy when I realized what was going on. I had the most beautiful tw...
3 comments
Read more

End of an Era

This is a long-awaited post about my departure from the UK. I’ve finally settled back in my hometown (for now), and a week has already passed. So, here we go. I said goodbye to a country where I spent six years—give or take. It was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to do. Though I always knew I’d say goodbye someday, I never truly believed that day would come. It felt like ages away. I was a completely different person back then. I came to this country in tears, and I'm leaving in tears. The first time, I cried because I was heading into the unknown. Now, everything is familiar, known, and feels like home. But the tears on my cheeks fall for a different reason. I never thought I’d leave behind so many loving hearts in just six years. I came to this city knowing no one. And now, I’ve spent my final days saying goodbye, meeting people, and even struggling to   find enough time for everyone. Goodbyes are hard. Goodbyes are always hard. I don’t even know exactly what—or wh...
Post a Comment
Read more