Please, talk to each other

Please. For the sake of everything.

Talk to each other.

Last Saturday a very normal thing happened. I sat on the bus and communicated to the person sitting next to me that we were about to arrive at my stop. They got up, so that I could get up too and leave the bus, and said: “Wow, it feels so nice that you just announce this. This barely happens anymore. This feels good.”

COMPLETELY. UTTERLY. NORMAL. QUICK. POLITE. CONVERSATION.

Yet, one that has become rare. And therefore something that was noticed by my fellow human, and that was appreciated.

Sometimes I truly wonder whether we are completely losing our sense of community. Have people gotten so alienated from each other that exchanging some basic politeness has become so rare – it had to be noticed?

It happens to me so often that I am in this situation. The person next to me wants to get out of the bus, and starts to make all kinds of strange maneuvers in order to try to make me notice they want me to get up.

Yet, there are no words.

There are headphones, often.
There is a complete lack of eye contact, often.

But here’s one idea, how about just saying it?!

Easy does it!
Basic politeness does it!
Trusting your fellow human to not be scary – does it!

Y’all, I really do not think this hyper technological way of living is the way forward for us. Constantly looking at one’s smartphone when in public, always shutting down the outside world with headphones. I think it totally alienates us from each other, our bodies, the natural world and does not do much good.

Dear fellow humans, there are so many friends out there.
For the sake of Love, start a conversation with a stranger once in a while.

You have no clue what you’re missing out on.

Over the past few years, I’ve had so many great encounters with people in public. People in cafes, on benches, in public transport, in community centres – you name it.

I once celebrated the end of my exam week with someone I met on the bus by going for lunch together.
I once was taken to a gospel church by someone I met in the train after a difficult day.
I once held a person’s hands for half an hour in the train as they cried over their partner who died.

I have spoken and connected with countless people in public.

And I also love silence. And I also do not need to marry the person next to me sitting on the metro (or maybe I do!). And I’m also tired or in a bad mood sometimes, and do not want to connect with anyone at all. We all are.

But please, let’s not lose this sense of basic connection to each other.

Too many people are feeling lonely and alienated these days.
This is not necessary.

Your friends are out there, eagerly waiting to meet you.

Art by James R. Eads