acknowledgement

While biking the roads of Durham and Dover on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, I passed quite a few people who were also enjoying the day, either biking, jogging, or walking. And almost every single one of them made some sort of effort to greet me, or at least acknowledge my presence. The friendlier ones, usually older couples taking a leisurely stroll, said hello or waved and smiled; others who were more focused on their work-out simply nodded or made eye contact. But even the smallest gesture I returned, even while whizzing by on my bike.

But why? Why do people make the effort to connect with a perfect stranger? It's not as if we might reconnect at a later point in time...the opposite is true, in fact. Yet most people still greet strangers on the street, and I don't think it's just to be polite. There must be something in all humans that causes us to yearn to connect with others, and to take that risk. It's risky business smiling at someone you don't know; who knows if they'll appreciate it and respond with an equally friendly greeting? I guess people have realized that the rewards are greater than the risks!