"Strangers" is actually not a good title for this post, but it is a good beginning point. I'll leave it there and wander around it a bit.
It's said that some people never met a stranger. I take that to mean that their personality immediately warms to everyone and they become friends, if only for the moment. At times I wish I had that ability, but don't.
Over several days I've been considering how to engage strangers in conversation. Quite regularly I see some person and there's something about him or her that strikes a chord in me, and I would sincerely like to initiate a conversation with this person. I'd like to know more about why there's this urge to talk with them.
I simply cannot do that. While I may feel like talking to this person, I cannot bring myself to do it. Conversely, if somehow the opportunity does arise to begin a conversation, for some reason people almost immediately begin to tell me details of their life that amaze me, and that I would, could, not reveal. There must be something about me that allows them to feel comfortable confiding. That something doesn't have to be me at all. A more logical explanation is that they probably know full well that he or she will never see me again and therefore can say almost anything without major consequences or embarrassment.
Often a person just looks interesting. It could be their dress, or something they are carrying. I'd like to know the story behind that "whatever-it-is". I'd like to know what he does for a living, or how she likes the book she is carrying. I suppose I am overly curious. There are very few people who don't interest me. It doesn't matter their race, gender, or nationality. I'd like for the young college students to tell me how they are coping with school or family. I'd like to know what I can say to the many people who seem so serious, as if my smile is an barrier to their achieving a goal for the day. I'd like the grocery check-out clerk to know I see an interesting person.
I used to regularly see a man of indeterminate age, probably late 50's, in a local fast-food restaurant. He drove a beautifully restored antique automobile, dressed conservatively, and looked good. He would read the paper wearing a pair of glasses that only had one temple piece, having to hold them up with one hand as he read. I wanted to talk to him to discover the story of both the car and the glasses, but never did. I haven't seen him for a few months now.
I suppose we live within our own circles, but it seems to me that enlarging the circles to include more people is an excellent way to improve quality of life for all of us. Years ago, when I was still working, we often day traveled to a small town east of Raleigh. There was a restaurant there that served good, inexpensive home cooked lunches and they were always crowded. Their tables were large, seating ten to twelve people, and the custom was that you sat wherever there was room. It was interesting. There is something about eating next to a person that opens up conversation, and I got into several good ones there. Maybe that's the answer to losing the label of strangers, maybe restaurants should have a section of large tables where people could eat with people unlike themselves.