I was surfing around on craigslist the other day and happened across a listing for a bear canister for sale. “Perfect!”, I thought. “I need one of those!” I ended up going over to buy the canister that evening. I walked up to the address the seller had given me and looked in. The front door was open, and inside was a dude and his girlfriend, sucking face.

“Uh, knock knock?” I quiered. Dude and girlfriend quickstepped apart. “Uh, you must be here for the bear canister”, said the dude.

We chatted a little bit, exchanging post-transcation pleasantries, and somehow rock climbing came up. So, naturally, I invited the dude to come climbing with me sometime. Right after I said that, I realized that inviting a total stranger that you just met from craigslist to go out into the wilderness with you and hold the rope that keeps you from crashing into the ground was possibly a weird thing to do. I can be so awkward sometimes.

But, it looks like it was awkward for the win. J and I met up with craigslist dude today for some casual Saturday climbing. Craigslist dude is great, and hopefully a new friend. The weather was perfect. I redpointed a project. It’s spring in Tucson, and the sun is shining, and the smell of citrus blossoms haunts the streets.

I sometimes wonder how many good, interesting people that I’m surrounded by that I will never meet. How many lifelong friends living down the street, that I never introduced myself to. It’s strange to think about.