Here in the American South, folks frequently strike up conversations with strangers. It may happen while in a doctor’s waiting room or when standing in the check-out line at the supermarket, or as in my case today, while waiting for my car to be serviced. It usually starts out as small talk about the weather or something rather inane, and before you know it you’ve heard the other person’s entire life history. It’s just the way we are here.
And usually, we find out that we know someone in the other person’s family or someone who is their friend or acquaintance. Sometimes we even discover we are related to one another in some way.
This morning I was thinking about how we tend to do this, and sure enough, while my husband and I were waiting for the car to be worked on, I struck up a conversation with a man who also was waiting for his car to be serviced. Or he struck up a conversation with me. I don’t even know how we began talking or what the subject matter was. But by the time we left, I knew his entire life story, and he knew part of ours.
That’s just the way it happens. People acknowledge one another, and people are kind to one another. I think that’s a good way to be.
Unexpected in common hours 
Good morning Deb. I love your quotes. May I share the first one? I always do that, talk to strangers mostly while waiting for a doctor. We share our woes.
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Hi Arlene. Yes, by all means, you are welcome to share the quote. I found it on the internet and thought it was a lovely quote and so true. I’m glad to know that you talk to strangers, too.
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Thank you so much. Sometimes you learn a lot from them, right? Because they give it to you in all truth thinking that you may not be able to see each other again.
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Yes, that is true. It’s amazing what strangers will share of we’re willing to listen.
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yeah! I love striking up conversations with others…….it is amazing when you speak to others, just how much you really have in common. 🙂
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That is so true. After all, we all have our joys and our sorrows and so much in common.
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bless you!
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There still is kindness in the world, and most of the times it isn’t hard to see it at all!
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You are so right! All we have to do is look around.
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This is one of my favorite things about living in the South. I can talk to anyone and for the most part, people here don’t mind. I went back home a few years ago and forgot how “closed” people are up there…I was in K-Mart and made eye contact with this woman, so of course I said, “Hi”…She looked at me like I had the plague and walked past. I guess I forgot my “yankee bitch uniform” lol
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lol I know what you mean. We lived for years in northern Indiana. When I first moved there I said hello to someone, and she said “Where in the hell are you from?” I’ll never forget that.
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