About 3 weeks ago, as I was walking to a doctor's appointment, I smiled at a lady as I walked past and she smiled back. It brightened up my day and mood. It made a difference to me. It also set me thinking about how differently people interact on a day to day basis in a city compared with a day out in the countryside, and how different those two experiences feel.
When walking in the countryside, almost everyone makes eye contact with the people they meet on the way and exchanges a cheery good morning or afternoon. They may even stop for a chat. I love the sense of connection with others this gives, even though we will probably never meet again. It's good to take time to interact.
On the other hand, in the city, it's often hard to even get a smile from anyone. People rushing all the time with no time for connection, locked in their own private little worlds. Are we really too busy to smile?
I wonder how much less stressed and more connected we would feel if we just took a moment to smile at someone. Would other people would find their day brightened by that smile, or just find it weird? Maybe that person you smiled at lives alone and hasn't spoken to anyone all week. Would people feel threatened by the smile? Could it be a dangerous in some situations?
Link to discussion on G+.
No comments:
Post a Comment