Strangers are waving at me, and I find myself waving back. They smile, and so do I. And you know what? It feels really good.
In all of this we’re learning to appreciate strangers.
There’s a longing for connection that we all have, especially when we’re as starved of it as we are these days.
Yes, Zoom is good but not enough. We were meant to grab beers and clink mugs together, shake hands, hug—be with each other. Zooming is great but it’s a bastardization of what we really want, need.
Maybe your living with family, which makes it a lot easier. But there’s still that desire to connect with other people who don’t have your surname.
Strangers are now those people. And it’s nice, you know.
It’s strange yet natural. It’s awkward, but refreshing. It makes us all feel better, somehow.
Yes, the Midwest, where I live, is a place where social norms do cultivate a higher amount of niceness from its people. But these days they’re even nicer than normal. The waves are bigger and smiles wider. It’s like we all got the message of “We are all that we’ve got left now, so let’s make the best of it.”
And I like it. You probably do, too.
You might be noticing the change, friendly greetings from those who aren’t friends. It likely makes you feel connected, loved even.
This pandemic is tragic, horrid, awful. But there is good that blossoms from shit.
And learning to love the people around us no matter who they are, is a flower I hope continues to bloom in our daily lives and never gets uprooted no matter what season of life we’re in.Social distancing has brought us closer to strangers. And it’s great.
John Pa 