This was great…thank you …. I stopped running about ten years ago and have been walking everyday since during lunch break on a local bike path….i have named all the different folks i normally pass on a regular basis…but very little conversation…. After five years of passing one older gentleman and nodding hello, he actually stopped me and said…we’ve seen each other for five years now, and i just wanted to tell you my wife and i are moving to New Mexico, retirement, i did not want you to think I died…. Just a nod a day for five years…and we were like old friends…. Thank you for a wonderful post….
Wow, what an amazing story. The fact that he stopped you to tell you that. It's funny how his decision to move away prompted that, and otherwise it may have just continued on for years that way otherwise. Thanks for sharing, David.
Having lived most of my life in small country communities where everyone knows everyone & stopping for a chat is the norm, I found it difficult adjusting to city living where even eye contact seemed abnormal. I'm a walker (for health & recreation) & have found that smiling at oncoming fellow walkers is the best policy as it almost always results in a return smile - not a full beamer or anything creepy, just a semi-widish kind of grin. A hello is about a 50% return, a good morning is about 20% but often shortened to 'morning', and good evening just seems way too weird & formal for here in Aus & gets ignored completely. I've also noticed that in general, the younger the walker is, the less likely there is to be any response, particularly eye contact.
I like the smile as an entry point into a hello or good morning. That's definitely a great way to test the waters. And totally agree regarding the younger walkers. There's definitely an age cut-off. These young people I tell you!
Way back when, a friend had recently moved from the West to the East Coast for college. He came home on break and commented that people on the streets acted semi-accosted when he offered them a cookie from his cookie bag. Clearly a "step" too far.
Interesting but if you walk the Erie Canal Trail in Upstate NY, every one says hello to you or at least a nod and a wave even the hard core bicyclists who are trying to ride the entire 360 miles. Different story but fun fact, hubby worked at MoMa for 30+ years and would see same people in the elevator for all those years and neither a greeting or nod was exchanged. Just don’t underestimate the assholes among us.
Brilliant. That trail sounds like a great place to get some hellos in. And conversely, it is funny how we're capable of the complete opposite despite being in such close proximity for years like your husband's work situation. Humans are pretty weird!
Mind you the number of times I've heard strangers' life stories in LA elevators shows that the openness of some cultures to 'share' ought perhaps to have limits!
I couldn't believe it when we first moved to LA and I started getting greeted by other walkers and cyclists. Having got well used to the idea of being sociable with strangers undertaking the same activity I tried talking to people on thd tube in London. That didn't go so well.
Oh interesting. The reception on the tube sounds harsh (I’ve heard rumours). Especially coming from a more open hello situation. I know the feeling though. There’s been times when I’ve gotten into the rhythm of a certain town or city, and then attempted to carry that on somewhere else and been set straight pretty quick.
All of this is fascinating. I have surely experienced many of the things you describe. It’s so amusing…human interaction in different places and situations. I wear a Fitbit and go for walks. I admit I’m obsessed with getting my “steps” in. And, it sounds really silly!
People who live in Maine (USA) tend to say hello to most people when they are out and about. If a person doesn’t return the greeting, we generally assume the individual is “from away” (NOT from Maine) and we shrug it off. I once heard a Mainer say in response to not getting a “hello” back from a stranger “some people ain’t got no manners.”
I suppose the steps are just another way we gamify everything. It’s hard to fight against it!
I love the idea as well that a non-hello means they’re ‘from away’ and clearly not from around Maine. I’ve certainly been in places like that. I wonder how long it takes to wear down these people until they eventually cave in. Or they leave town.
This was great…thank you …. I stopped running about ten years ago and have been walking everyday since during lunch break on a local bike path….i have named all the different folks i normally pass on a regular basis…but very little conversation…. After five years of passing one older gentleman and nodding hello, he actually stopped me and said…we’ve seen each other for five years now, and i just wanted to tell you my wife and i are moving to New Mexico, retirement, i did not want you to think I died…. Just a nod a day for five years…and we were like old friends…. Thank you for a wonderful post….
Wow, what an amazing story. The fact that he stopped you to tell you that. It's funny how his decision to move away prompted that, and otherwise it may have just continued on for years that way otherwise. Thanks for sharing, David.
Having lived most of my life in small country communities where everyone knows everyone & stopping for a chat is the norm, I found it difficult adjusting to city living where even eye contact seemed abnormal. I'm a walker (for health & recreation) & have found that smiling at oncoming fellow walkers is the best policy as it almost always results in a return smile - not a full beamer or anything creepy, just a semi-widish kind of grin. A hello is about a 50% return, a good morning is about 20% but often shortened to 'morning', and good evening just seems way too weird & formal for here in Aus & gets ignored completely. I've also noticed that in general, the younger the walker is, the less likely there is to be any response, particularly eye contact.
I like the smile as an entry point into a hello or good morning. That's definitely a great way to test the waters. And totally agree regarding the younger walkers. There's definitely an age cut-off. These young people I tell you!
Dogs! Dogs get people to say hello 😁
Very true! Dogs are definitely a solid gateway to a hello.
Way back when, a friend had recently moved from the West to the East Coast for college. He came home on break and commented that people on the streets acted semi-accosted when he offered them a cookie from his cookie bag. Clearly a "step" too far.
Haha. It's quite a big leap going from hello to offering cookies. Good on him!
Interesting but if you walk the Erie Canal Trail in Upstate NY, every one says hello to you or at least a nod and a wave even the hard core bicyclists who are trying to ride the entire 360 miles. Different story but fun fact, hubby worked at MoMa for 30+ years and would see same people in the elevator for all those years and neither a greeting or nod was exchanged. Just don’t underestimate the assholes among us.
Brilliant. That trail sounds like a great place to get some hellos in. And conversely, it is funny how we're capable of the complete opposite despite being in such close proximity for years like your husband's work situation. Humans are pretty weird!
I think it's so obnoxious when "walkers" casually drop in how many steps they did that day.
For instance, even though we spent today walking around Rome, I would never be so crass as to mention that we did over 30,000 steps.
That would just be tacky, although I can post a screenshot off you really wanted to see it.
It's incredibly crass. And I think as long as you don't mention how many steps you did, then I think you're ok.
You know if you're going to demand I show up my screenshot with the thirty thousand steps, I guess I will.
But this makes you the crass one, not me!
Thankfully I don’t think there’s a way to post images in the comments..🙏
Where there's a will there's a way...
👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👣...
“I need to get my days in” 😂 brilliant.
Thanks, mate!
Mind you the number of times I've heard strangers' life stories in LA elevators shows that the openness of some cultures to 'share' ought perhaps to have limits!
Yeah it can vary wildly can't it. Those instances stand out to me too because I could never be that open with people I don't know.
I couldn't believe it when we first moved to LA and I started getting greeted by other walkers and cyclists. Having got well used to the idea of being sociable with strangers undertaking the same activity I tried talking to people on thd tube in London. That didn't go so well.
Oh interesting. The reception on the tube sounds harsh (I’ve heard rumours). Especially coming from a more open hello situation. I know the feeling though. There’s been times when I’ve gotten into the rhythm of a certain town or city, and then attempted to carry that on somewhere else and been set straight pretty quick.
All of this is fascinating. I have surely experienced many of the things you describe. It’s so amusing…human interaction in different places and situations. I wear a Fitbit and go for walks. I admit I’m obsessed with getting my “steps” in. And, it sounds really silly!
People who live in Maine (USA) tend to say hello to most people when they are out and about. If a person doesn’t return the greeting, we generally assume the individual is “from away” (NOT from Maine) and we shrug it off. I once heard a Mainer say in response to not getting a “hello” back from a stranger “some people ain’t got no manners.”
I suppose the steps are just another way we gamify everything. It’s hard to fight against it!
I love the idea as well that a non-hello means they’re ‘from away’ and clearly not from around Maine. I’ve certainly been in places like that. I wonder how long it takes to wear down these people until they eventually cave in. Or they leave town.