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IntenseMagic

IntenseMagic

Some grannies cuss a lot. I'm some grannies.
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Feb 28, 2012
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Today is World Hello Day, so
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The goal is to promote the importance of personal communication and the objective is to greet at least 10 people today. Since I probably won't be seeing 10 people in person today, I'm greeting you all :)

This also got me wondering... do you speak to random people in public often?

I do, pretty often. It's usually just "hi, how are you?" but I have been known to have long conversations in checkout lines and such. My 16 year old is not a fan and almost every time we go somewhere, he says "why do you talk to everyone?" :giggle.
 
Hello!! I had to laugh because I also have convos with strangers. Haha My kids used to think it was "weird" but now they do the same thing. I'm actually going shopping later, so I'll have a chance to say hello to some people.
 
Hiya (& I'm one of the strangers people feel compelled to chat with, the kids comment on it all the time that it never happens when they're out with dad, just me & masks might have reduced it initially but now, not really at all)
 
I say hi to people when I am out on a photo walk, out walking the dogs and if I don't speak to them, I usually give them a smile. Today I was out on a morning photo walk and then an afternoon stroll thru the dog park so easily greeted and chatted with at least 30 people today.
 
Since beginning work in a school last August, I definitely say hello, or good morning, or have a good day, and so on, to numerous people every day Monday through Friday. Today however, I didn't see anyone outside of my own family, so I only said hello 5 times. Oh! I almost forgot, I took a walk around my neighborhood and I passed a couple and waved. :D

I do greet strangers frequently; I'm a friendly person. I like to have chats with strangers sometimes. Not always. I am an introvert. But when I'm in the mood and have something to say, then I enjoy talking with people. I never thought of it as being anything significant or unusual though and was shocked when several years ago my middle child, around the age of 14, asked me (like you, Jan) why do I talk to everyone, like in stores. I bet I do it less than average, actually.
 
Cherylndesigns said:
Hello!! I had to laugh because I also have convos with strangers. Haha My kids used to think it was "weird" but now they do the same thing. I'm actually going shopping later, so I'll have a chance to say hello to some people.
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My oldest does it now, too. My middle doesn't much like talking to anyone and the youngest, who used to be the most outgoing of all, doesn't even talk much to people he knows, much less strangers lol.
 
bcgal00 said:
I say hi to people when I am out on a photo walk, out walking the dogs and if I don't speak to them, I usually give them a smile. Today I was out on a morning photo walk and then an afternoon stroll thru the dog park so easily greeted and chatted with at least 30 people today.
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Yes, sometimes it's just a smile...especially if they don't look particularly chatty lol. I wish we had a dog park around here, I think that would be so much fun.
 
michelepixels said:
Since beginning work in a school last August, I definitely say hello, or good morning, or have a good day, and so on, to numerous people every day Monday through Friday. Today however, I didn't see anyone outside of my own family, so I only said hello 5 times. Oh! I almost forgot, I took a walk around my neighborhood and I passed a couple and waved. :D

I do greet strangers frequently; I'm a friendly person. I like to have chats with strangers sometimes. Not always. I am an introvert. But when I'm in the mood and have something to say, then I enjoy talking with people. I never thought of it as being anything significant or unusual though and was shocked when several years ago my middle child, around the age of 14, asked me (like you, Jan) why do I talk to everyone, like in stores. I bet I do it less than average, actually.
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Haha yes, at school I probably say hello 10 times or more before I even reach my classroom door lol. And yep, I never thought much of it until the kiddo pointed it out.
 
Well, I went out with the best intention of having a "Hello Day". I have to tell you I was checked out at the Dollar Tree by THE most zombie like girl that I've ever encountered. Dang - I know stores are desperate, but really??? I'm sure that she hated being there, but still - the lady in front of me looked at me like "What is her problem?" Other than her, it was a good day. Everybody (almost everybody) is really nice here, though. When we walked out, my DD and I decided that she probably had a miserable life - she looked about 18 or so and HAD to work and wanted to be anyplace but there. The woman who checked us out at Walmart was a sweetheart and we had a lot of fun with her. It was about 5 pm and the kiddos in there were all starting to cry. She said the closer it got to dinner time, the most the kids cried - LOL. It was time for us to get out of there.
 
I am not only an introvert but also generally lean towards (trying to) be(ing) as efficient as possible so talking to strangers in public, especially when I'm trying to accomplish a task at the same time, is not only scary for me but also doesn't make sense to me. :giggle

However, I have trained myself in the last few years to try to small talk with people I need to interact with during my task, like the cashier or the waiter, because that's the kind thing to do & is "good practice" for me. If the service worker seems friendly/chatty and says something outside of their standard script, I will respond + try to say something else to add to the conversation. If I can tell that they're in a bad mood or just don't want to chat, I will just answer their questions or say "hello" back.

I know that sounds like a LOT but otherwise, I would just put my head down, lost in my own thoughts, every single time I was in public. :giggle
 
My local Walmart is in an office building. Today the escalator to the parking garage wasn’t working, nor were two of the three elevators. I got on the elevator, then held the door so two other shoppers (they were together) could get on too. We chatted on the way up.

I’m pretty introverted, but I tend to chat to store employees ... on the floor and the cashiers .. and other shoppers.
 
Since I didn't go anywhere today, the only people I said hello to were my family. Haha.

I tend to do the typical, "Hello, how are you?" But don't really go into conversations...unless the other person starts it.

Since we live in a small town almost everywhere I go I see people I know...and then I'll talk.
 
LeeAndra said:
I am not only an introvert but also generally lean towards (trying to) be(ing) as efficient as possible so talking to strangers in public, especially when I'm trying to accomplish a task at the same time, is not only scary for me but also doesn't make sense to me. :giggle

However, I have trained myself in the last few years to try to small talk with people I need to interact with during my task, like the cashier or the waiter, because that's the kind thing to do & is "good practice" for me. If the service worker seems friendly/chatty and says something outside of their standard script, I will respond + try to say something else to add to the conversation. If I can tell that they're in a bad mood or just don't want to chat, I will just answer their questions or say "hello" back.

I know that sounds like a LOT but otherwise, I would just put my head down, lost in my own thoughts, every single time I was in public. :giggle
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I get it. That was totally me in my younger days. I was a lot more like my teenager for a long time. I think going away to college alone, where I knew no one and was trapped did it for me. I had no choice but to talk to people or it would have been a long lonely quiet few years.
 
Memaw2Wm said:
My local Walmart is in an office building. Today the escalator to the parking garage wasn’t working, nor were two of the three elevators. I got on the elevator, then held the door so two other shoppers (they were together) could get on too. We chatted on the way up.

I’m pretty introverted, but I tend to chat to store employees ... on the floor and the cashiers .. and other shoppers.
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I hate it when I'm on an elevator and it's silent. It's so awkward lol
 
Oh, yes, I talk to everyone. I also get into the most random conversations with strangers. There's something about my face that makes people tell me things. LOL It happens to my mom and my sister.

Olivia @LivyBug and I were just having a conversation about this yesterday, and we didn't even know it was a Hello Holiday! :giggle
 
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