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Stories Of Strangers On Display In Boston

BOSTON (CBS) – Story collectors were in Boston Thursday, asking people to share a little bit of their lives.

It's called The Strangers Project and it's a unique and intimate way to learn about others, and ourselves.

"What's your story? It could be anything. So just whatever you want to share about your life," says Brandon Doman, the originator of the project.

And share they do, in short bursts of insight. "I had my first baby seven weeks ago. She's beautiful. So sweet and calm like her Papa," one reads.

"There is a city right under your nose that you probably walk past every day. You may not even notice us," reads another.

Stranger Project
The Stranger Project in Kenmore Square (WBZ-TV)

Doman started collecting these stories seven years ago. "I think I've always just had this curiosity, looking out at a crowd and all the people we share space with every day and realizing that they all are living their own lives and have their own stories, but that they're often unexplored," he says.

Brandon set up Thursday in Kenmore Square, the second day of his 20 city tour. He displays dozens of the stories people have written, and many people grab pen and paper and share their own.

Some are heartbreaking. "My 15-year-old daughter tried to kill herself last fall. Nothing in the 'What to Expect' books prepared me for this," one reads.

The Stranger Project
The Stranger Project in Kenmore Square (WBZ-TV)

Others are heartwarming. "Today I received an email that they found a match in the bone marrow drive I ran last summer," reads another.

"This is a great way to break down boundaries and to really see who people really are and it's not fake. It's very authentic and I really love it," says one person who stopped by to share a story.

"I think it helps us look at each other with a little more empathy, with a little more curiosity," Brandon says.

The Strangers Project will be in Harvard Sq. Friday. Brandon has also created a book called "What's Your Story?"

Go here to read the stories: http://strangersproject.com/

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