I dare you to..........

LauraMax

LauraMax

Cathlete
Smile & say hello to a stranger today. Has that ever happened to you? Did you notice how much it brightened your day? So when you're in the grocery store tonight, or walking through a parking lot, or at the gym, make eye contact with a stranger & say hi.

Don't do it to too many people or you'll end up being carted off in a straight jacket. :7

Pay it forward. Give us another dare.
 
Well, I did it the other day, right after I'd heard about the VT tragedy. I got out of my car to go to an ATM and another woman was there and I asked if she'd heard about it, and she said yes (this is Richmond, VA where I dare you to find one person who doesn't know someone who went/goes there.) I swear, we almost hugged each other. We talked and told each other to be safe as we parted ways.

And, while I was sad about what we had in common, it did make me feel good to connect with a complete stranger like that.
 
I have to really try to do this. I'm getting better at it. I used to roll my eyes at my mom whose motto is "Strangers are just friends we haven't met yet." Now I completely agree but I still don't see myself striking up a conversation with someone I don't know. :)
 
Oh, I do it. Not often, but I've had some really fun conversations with people in check-out lines! Heck, a guy I didn't know was walking his new puppy on the sidewalk in front of our house yesterday, and I made a special trip outside just to meet the dog. Even my husband came out and we stood around talking to him and playing with his puppy (Cody---strange, never asked the guy his name!!!) for about 10 minutes.

But, then again, I never said I was normal.;-)
 
I very often do this but I notice that it's difficult for some people. When I meet someone on the street/sidewalk whether I know them or not I look at them and will say hello if they look at me. But so often they avoid eye contact. I wish people would try harder to acknowledge others, I really do. You don't have to be acquainted to be friendly.
 
I guess being in the Midwest people are generally friendlier?? Most people say hi & out by where we live (kinda in the country) everyone waves at you as you drive by. Yes, seriously.

I talk to everyone, even while waiting in the checkout line, etc. Yes, I like to talk. ;-)
 
I live in the midwest too ... greeting strangers is a common occurrence. When visiting the "big cities" is when we have to put on our "big city" faces and avoid eye contact, but we still have trouble with that behavior and end up talking with strangers. People often say NYC is one of the least friendly cities, but we enjoy New Yorkers ... very friendly and helpful, in fact the least friendly person we encountered was a police officer we stopped to ask directions of ... we figured he was on a case and didn't want us around. Deb
 
This is funny...my DH grew up in a tiny town and I grew up in the city. When we were dating the first time I went there a guy waved at us as we passed by in the car and I flipped him the bird! My DH loves to tell this story. Me? I;m a little embarassed. Ok not so much that I didn't share with all of you.
I am much nicer now!
I said hi to a lady at the WAWA today and that I liked her shirt.
LD
 
I grew up in a pretty small town too and by the time I was in high school was acquainted with someone everywhere I went.

In moving to larger towns since college, it is interesting how people keep to themselves.

But the ol' small town feeling is still in me and I find myself listening in to others conversations and then participating too.

And I always try to say hi to anyone who will look at me or I will make a comment to someone standing in line near me.

Don't much care if people think I am strange, it keeps me happy and at times probably makes others happy too :7
 
I just thought about this the other day--- Right after 9/11, I was travelling one of the main drags in our town, light after light... and the same car stayed ahead of me. There was a kid in the back watching me constantly with a kind of sad look on his face. When I turned after about a mile of this, I put up my fingers in a peace sign. He did it in turn and I'll never forget the look on his face--sort of a knowledge that things would never be the same.:(

Peace
Doreen
 
Try walking a cute puppy in a big city and you'll discover how friendly city people can be. :+ But, I do seriously smile and say hi to most people. I talk to people in lines, and I have had some fine conversations that way. Yeah, some people think I'm whacked (I probably am), but for the most part, people are happy someone else is taking the initiative. I think a lot of people feel they should avoid eye contact and should not talk to strangers when they really want to, so when a friendly person does just that, they are relieved.
 
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