Hello Stranger!

Every Saturday morning at 7am I go for a run.

The world is a lot quieter in the morning, slower moving and gentle. The air is cool and fresh, the sun is just waking up and sounds of birds and the breeze are the only thing disturbing the peace.
It's these conditions that bring out a certain kind of creature - the slow-pace racers, the rolly strollers, the talking walkers, - basically all the old people going for a walk.

I must run past about 20 couples and motivated individuals every morning.
It's these moments of intersection that I find so interesting.
I have made it my custom to offer up a "good morning", or in more breathless moments the simple eyebrow flick.

The reactions vary:
Some are so stoked and offer back an enthusiastic "Morning!" and a smile. This is what I live for.
But others are not so sure. Giving me a look of "what do you want from me..?"
Some are so stone cold you don't even know if they register human contact.
I sometimes wonder if my friendly eyebrow flicks get misinterpreted? Coming across as not "Good Morning", but as "I'm interested in you in a romantic way".

Either way it makes me realise that talking to people you don't know has become such an unnatural thing in our society, in fact even acknowledging they exist has become awkward.
How many times have we been in a lift with work colleagues saturated in silence? Or on the bus sitting next to someone for 40 minutes without even uttering a hello.
Social norms? Or social isolation?

I hate the forced conversation no less than the next person, but I think I can manage to at least extend a "good morning" from time to time.

I realise we were all told as children never to talk to strangers, but I can't help but think -
Maybe strangers would be seem less strange if you simply knew them...