Why we should spend more time talking to strangers
When I took my granddaughters for lunch in a restaurant and I asked the waitress where she was from, my eldest granddaughter said: “Granddad, you talk to everyone.” I guess she’s right.
When my son was speaking at my 75th birthday event and the launch of my memoir, he joked that I wanted to know the story of everyone there. And I guess he was right.
Each week, I volunteer at the Older Persons’ Unit of St Thomas’ Hospital in London. Often I find myself just listening to the patient’s story.
Currently, I’m working on a project to interview staff and residents in my block of flats in central London and I’m going to (self) publish their stories in a book for each of them
This is just what I do. I’ve never really given it much thought.
But a recent article in the “Guardian” newspaper said:“While we tend to focus on our close relationships, psychologists have noticed that even what they call “minimal social interactions” can make us feel happier and more connected. One study found that people who had a brief chat with their barista, or simply made eye contact and smiled, felt happier and experienced a greater sense of belonging than those who treated the human being in front of them as an extension of the coffee machine.”
When I think about it, I really enjoy ‘recognising’ people and checking in on them. It’s good for them – but it’s also good for me.
You can learn more about talking to strangers from this piece in the “Guardian”.