Whether you are the gregarious type or more prone to privacy, there are moments in life when you may want to strike up a conversation with a total stranger.
Be it at a bus stop, a bar or a street corner, the consequences of unexpected openers can be far-reaching for both parties - or a pleasant break from your usual routine.
Loneliness is such a common thing among the older population (and yes, even the younger) that striking a conversation with a senior citizen at a bus stop is often a most welcome thing.
The topics of conversation are not hard to find. The omnipresent weather, destination, any other plans for the day, mutual acquaintances that you’re suddenly privy to, ailments, etc etc.
Like this old lady I met this winter, crossing the street to the bus stop with her walker, trying to get it over the snow that had piled up between the road and the sidewalk. The conversation naturally started from how much snow there is these days. And how there isn’t enough men or snow ploughs to keep the roads and sidewalks easily accessible. The next topic included her residence. Would she too be moving out now that the big plumbing repair is starting. Nope, but she did move a couple of years back from House number 11 in order to get access to an elevator as her knees couldn’t handle climbing the stairs anymore.
Oh, number 11. That’s the house complex my son is moving to, just got the keys yesterday in fact! I tell her. Then she says she used to live close to the garage area, and turns out that’s my son’s new address. So she had a few hints to give me concerning the neighborhood.
Depending upon which society and country you’re living in, your attempts to begin a conversation with a stranger may be regarded as natural, abnormal, rude, even insane. And as many of us do fall under the pressure of what is considered “normal” behavior, we may miss a lot of opportunities in our lives.
In some societies alcohol is allowed to sort of empower us to be more open in communication with the same people and the same circumstances where we might normally be our quiet self. And when being that quiet self, we might look askance at people who do talk freely even without the influence of alcohol. But you take what you get. Or you don’t. For it is always possible to find someone else to talk to. If that is what you want.
Nevertheless, while being able to strike a conversation with most anybody you meet may not be something to strive for, it is sometimes a good quality to have. You give something and you get something, and we all may learn something along the way.