An Unexpected Letter

     The envelope is hand written and addressed to me, which is odd since the Internet, which was invented over one hundred years ago, has virtually made letters and postcards obsolete.  I'm not even sure why there are still physical mailboxes in the year 2112 maybe it's a nostalgia thing.  Even more puzzling is why I opened the mailbox since mail deliveries are only once a month and haven't contained anything of importance for years.  

     I opened the envelope and found the letter contained within gave a name (Charles Decker) and address with a one-line message "It's time we meet".  The address given was Brussels, France.  I remember from history books when Brussels was a city in the country Belgium but that was many years ago when the radical terrorist group ISIS traumatized the world. Since then many countries disappeared and boundaries have changed.  One other notation in the letter is a reservation number for the Hyperloop Express train.  Now! It dawns on me this is the mandatory meeting with a stranger.  The World Council setup a program over fifty years ago to promote better communications.  

     So I have been randomly selected to meet Charles Decker and learn about his life.  He in turn would be task with the same for me. My great grandfather told me the selection process is for this opportunity is similar to the jury selection they used to do many, many years ago.   The World Council was an organization established to address the unrest around the globe.  They determined that most of the problem was lack of understanding and poor communication with people of different nations and backgrounds so they started this program called Strangers Meeting Strangers.  This program has been around for fifty plus years. Each year thousands of people from many countries are randomly selected to travel to places far and wide to meet strangers and educate themselves on different cultures.    

     I'm eighteen and a citizen of Amerinada with a passport that allows me to freely travel to friendly countries, France being one, without the hassles of being confined for weeks after my return.  I could be in Brussels in four hours if I take the International Hyperloop train but I'm not sure what to expect from my month long meeting with Charles Decker.  It's very likely that Mr. Decker is old so what could I possibly learn from him, communication will be difficult at best.  There is no choice in this matter, once selected you cannot refuse to go.  

     The World Council pays for the trip and I will be staying with Charles but I dread spending time with an old man that is out of touch with today’s world.  Although, I found my great grandfather told interesting stories, some seemed exaggerated if not unbelievable but it was important for him to share these stories with me.  I have to admit I enjoyed hearing them and I was able to teach him a few things as well.

     Since the inception of this program there has been notable improvement in the tolerance people have toward one another.  Is it possible that the Strangers Meeting Strangers program is making a positive impact?