Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Sunday, February 19, 2006

Strangers

I've recently received a lot of negativity from strangers when I try to strike up conversations with them. And not just because I'm an orangutan either. They immediatetly hypothesize ulterior motives I may have for disturbing them. Examples.

Over the weekend at the bar (yes, monkeys need a drink from time to time too), I was sitting next to a woman by herself, doing nothing but drinking. I said hello to her and she looked away and shook her head, disgusted. I was insulted, and decided to press the issue. I asked her if she owned a sailboat, what she would name it. She turned and said, "No. I'm not gonna hook up with you. Stop trying."

Later sitting in the same seat (the woman eventaully scoffed and left), was a guy drinking and peeling his beer label off the bottle. I said hello and he nodded silently back. I am asked him the same question, and he said "Look man. I'm not gonna buy anything from you. I'm not gonna sign up for anything. I'm not down for the cause, or whatever it is."

There's also the opposite effect of these examples. The type of stranger you meet who immediately wants to be your best friend, your girlfriend/boyfriend, your life long business partner. The cling-ons.

We translate the term "meeting new people" usually as laying groundwork to accomplish some type of personal goal. The "new people" we meet, need to fall into some type of social category to us personally. Romantic interest, close friend, friend, acquaintance, seen around, don't like, fuck them. It can never be about just experiencing the moment with someone else, and then letting it go. I shouldn't feel a hesitation to talk to people I don't know because they may perceive me in the wrong way.

We're alive. Experiences come in all forms. Why miss out on them because your not sure where they'll lead. It's this moment that matters, not the next one and not the previous one. Talk to someone you don't know and relax.

Mojokong the Moment Eater

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