Who is the Stranger?

        "The Stranger," as I called him, appeared throughout my life many times up until I was in my late fifties. He was an older gentleman, with brown hair and keen blue eyes like mine. He had an amazing machine that he claimed he had invented, and he said he used it to travel through time. He seemed to always be there for me at my worst days and my darkest hours. But one thing he insisted- that I would keep a journal about him, and write about every individual time he visited me.

        I remember the earliest time he appeared: at my first day of school, when I was very terrified. He encouraged me to try hard, and not to be scared, and told me he knew I would do great. He even showed me his magical machine in the forest behind the school. In the serene forest, speckled with patches of sunlight occasionally shrouded by thick clouds, he gave me the journal he wanted me to keep.

        "You must never lose this," he said. "Every time you see me, you must write about me in the journal."

        "Why?" I asked.

        "Because," he replied, "If you don't, you might never see me again."

        I remember he helped me immensely with my grades in high school, and he comforted me when I had to grieve. He helped me graduate college, and he guided me with my marriage. He even taught me all about the machine he travelled in, so that I was fairly confident I could fly it myself. All of this I wrote in the journal. But one question was constantly in head: Who is the Stranger?

        Time went on, and he began to visit me less and less. I began to think about him less frequently. But eventually he visited me one last time, and that time I shall never forget.

        By the Stranger's counsel, which I never doubted, I became a science professor. I didn't attend very many public events. I rather preferred to stay by myself, and work on inventions of mine. Of course, money had to come from somewhere, so occasionally I would go traveling to different colleges and teach classes or give speeches. Once I received a package from the Stranger himself containing exactly the amount of money I needed.

        I became very famous, and made many amazing inventions, including the "atomic transistor" and the "chronologic displacement drive". But soon I thought of a different idea, one wholly amazing and unbelievable. I remembered when the Stranger showed me his machine, and I decided to try to build it myself.

        Days passed, weeks passed, and I got along pretty well. It seemed that I would actually be able to build a working time machine. But a problem arose, one thoroughly unexpected, that appeared to crush my waking dreams. There was a fault in the machine that I realized could not be repaired without altering the laws of physics itself.

        I was very frustrated. I had spent months working on the project, and now I had to stop, all because of a lack of planning on my part. But things turned up very soon.

        I was in my work room, looking at my unfinished project in despair, when I heard a familiar buzzing sound. It was the Stranger's machine! His machine appeared right in the room where I was standing. He stepped out and greeted me.

        "Hello, friend! I see you've got some problems with your work in progress over there." He walked over to me, and placed some papers in my hands. "This is the solution to your problem. I had the exact same problem twenty years ago, did you know that?"

        "How did you fix it?" I said, completely flabbergasted.

        He grinned. "Why, a magical man appeared and gave the solution to me, of course! Now if you'll excuse my lack of manners, I need you to give me that journal of yours. I have lots to do, and that journal will greatly aid my travels! I have lots to do! A child to help with school, a friend to help get married, and much more!"

        I grabbed the old journal (which I always kept with me) with quivering hands, and gave it to him.

        "Thank you, friend!" He said. "Good luck on your invention!" He stepped into his time machine, and was gone.

        I stared at the empty space in astonishment. Now it all made sense. I was the one to go into the past and help my younger self through all of those years.

        The Stranger was me.