Conversation with a stranger in Cairo made me question my whole timeline

An old man selling tea near Tahrir Square told me I was wrong to count my exile from the day I crossed the border, said it starts when you stop expecting to go back, and that hit me harder than any paperwork or flight number ever did, has anyone else had a chance meeting that rewired how they measure their own story?

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umabailey23d ago

Used to mark my timeline by the date stamped in my passport, the day I landed somewhere new. That old man's words made me realize I was still living like a visitor in my own head, always counting down to a return that never came. The real shift happened the morning I stopped checking flight deals home and started buying plants that needed long term care. Now I measure my life by the moment I unpacked all my boxes without keeping one empty for the trip back. Strangers really do hand you mirrors you didn't ask for.