Something's Happening

Lately, people have been nice to me, passing strangers, people I don't know.

When I go to the grocery or to the post, I encounter people that are nice to me.  I know sometimes it is because I'm walking with my cane.  But a lot of times, I'm using a shopping cart, like today, so I don't think they are seeing me as some old man.  I'm not sure what they are seeing, but they seem to want to just be nice.  They say, 'hi' or smile and ask how my day is going.  I really like that.

I don't see a lot of people that I know in person these days.  With the pain I have, I don't get out that much, except to go to the grocery, which I have to do.  I need to eat.  So, with few exceptions, I don't see that many of my friends any more.  I rarely just run into people I know, like I used to.  I even traveled to Seattle and ran into people I knew from Boston, and I lived in Wichita, at the time.  I didn't take it for granted, but almost accepted it as ... well ... me   (I do occasionally run into BeeJay and her family at the Hy-Vee). But I digress.

I have been trying to interact with people when I go out.  To make others smile.  Say something quippy and humorous.  I do try to draw them in for a brief moment, not being intrusive, just interactive and positive.  Yet, there are days I am not feeling up to the challenge and I just go thru with my task, to pick up bread or milk and go home.  I wish I could remember all of these times that I've had these interactions, so brief, but so important.

Maybe, in the grand scheme of things, with things the way they are, seeing so much hate and adversary on social media, I guess it's that I've been afraid that it would leak over into my social reality.  I like joking about that I am searching for that one product in the cereal aisle and notice the person next to me searching in the same manner.  I look at them and say, "I'm going to be really mad if you find yours first, and I'll be really, REALLY mad if you're looking for the same thing and there's only one box."  And we both laugh.

It's a moment.  Mere seconds, really.  But it seems important.