Three things you can give to strangers

Six months ago, I noticed a young woman sitting across from me on the subway sketching caricatures of people as they entered the train. I asked to see “me” (it was remarkably good for a 30-second sketch), and we’ve been good friends ever since.

If there’s one thing I excel at, it’s talking to strangers.

For that reason, I really enjoyed Kris Hughes post on the seven reasons you should talk to strangers.

While Hughes’ post does an excellent job of outlining the great things you can get from reaching out to people you don’t know, I thought I’d remind people that the best reasons for talking to strangers are what you can give instead:

1. Help. Too many times I have seen people with perplexed looks staring at maps, or frazzled looks peeking under tables. It isn’t easy to ask for help, but it is much easier to accept an offer of support. Next time you see a stranger lost in a new city or looking for their fallen keys, give them a hand.
2. Appreciation. There are many people we often take for granted: the traffic cop down the street, the barista at Starbucks, the cleaning lady at the office. Simply giving a few seconds of your day to let them know you’re thankful they’re around can make all the difference in the rest of their day.
3. Belonging. Contrary to popular belief, it’s a lot easier to feel isolated when you’re surrounded by people you don’t know than when you’re alone. Making that effort to say hello to the new kind in school or that guys at the party nobody really knows does a lot to lift that feeling of isolation and gives people a sense of place.

In the end, we all need a periodic reminder that people care, that there is goodness in our world. Talking to strangers lets all of us give that feeling of hope to the people around us, and maybe even get some of that feeling reflected back.