So I was driving to work today, sitting in traffic, drinking my Starbucks coffee, guiding my steering wheel with my knee so I could simultaneously put cream cheese on my bagel and eat it too, when I had a random thought; How many people do we drive by each day and think nothing about them? For those of us who are like me (A Professional Commuter) especially in major cities, this number is astronomical. How many times have we been cut off and started swearing at the other driver, then went home or to work and ranted to our family members, friends and colleagues about that person? On the same note how often to we talk to those same people about the elderly guy, driving his Ford Crown Victoria, who let you over after 10-15 people blatantly sped up to keep you from getting in front of them as soon as you put your blinker on? I'd be willing to bet it's significantly less. I'm guilty of it too.
It's interesting how we often feel so alone in this world, and yet we fail to see all these people we pass by day after day, who quite possibly feel the same way. What would happen if you randomly looked up and smiled at one and said hi? It could spark a friendship, or it could simply have stopped a potential suicidal thought process because that person didn't think anyone cared. Either way, how often do we do that? I know out here in Southern California, for a guy to smile and say hi to a woman, it's almost always automatically assumed that he's trying to pick her up. If he say hi to another guy, he's gay. What happened to the old days when we were young and could walk up to anyone with our pudgy cheeks, say hi with a huge smile on our face, and whomever we said it to would smile back at us and possibly say hi back?
I've also found it interesting that people have become so impersonal these days that sometimes people in an online community could feel like closer friends than the girl you grew up with who lives down the street. I mean seriously, I almost enjoy coming here to see what all of you have to say about different topics more than arguing with my actual friends about these things. then again, most of my friends aren't nearly as intelligent as most of you.
What are your thoughts about this? for the older members, or shall I say, more experienced in life members, when did you see it happening? What went wrong? I personally think that we have enough members here across the globe that we could all start to bring that back.
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So I was driving to work today, sitting in traffic, drinking my Starbucks coffee, guiding my steering wheel with my knee so I could simultaneously put cream cheese on my bagel and eat it too, when I had a random thought; How many people do we drive by each day and think nothing about them? For those of us who are like me (A Professional Commuter) especially in major cities, this number is astronomical. How many times have we been cut off and started swearing at the other driver, then went home or to work and ranted to our family members, friends and colleagues about that person? On the same note how often to we talk to those same people about the elderly guy, driving his Ford Crown Victoria, who let you over after 10-15 people blatantly sped up to keep you from getting in front of them as soon as you put your blinker on? I'd be willing to bet it's significantly less. I'm guilty of it too.
It's interesting how we often feel so alone in this world, and yet we fail to see all these people we pass by day after day, who quite possibly feel the same way. What would happen if you randomly looked up and smiled at one and said hi? It could spark a friendship, or it could simply have stopped a potential suicidal thought process because that person didn't think anyone cared. Either way, how often do we do that? I know out here in Southern California, for a guy to smile and say hi to a woman, it's almost always automatically assumed that he's trying to pick her up. If he say hi to another guy, he's gay. What happened to the old days when we were young and could walk up to anyone with our pudgy cheeks, say hi with a huge smile on our face, and whomever we said it to would smile back at us and possibly say hi back?
I've also found it interesting that people have become so impersonal these days that sometimes people in an online community could feel like closer friends than the girl you grew up with who lives down the street. I mean seriously, I almost enjoy coming here to see what all of you have to say about different topics more than arguing with my actual friends about these things. then again, most of my friends aren't nearly as intelligent as most of you.
What are your thoughts about this? for the older members, or shall I say, more experienced in life members, when did you see it happening? What went wrong? I personally think that we have enough members here across the globe that we could all start to bring that back.
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