When we were young, we were told not to talk to strangers but as we grow older we realize that’s the only way to make new friends or meet people to have relationships with or to network to further a career. Talking to strangers is always a risk but on a Monday afternoon in a Timmy’s, I don’t think speaking with the nice old man who is a regular will get you into much trouble. It is scary to talk to new people and I must admit that for me, I typically need to be in a certain mood or have a motive to do it. Sometimes these motives don’t always come up in a room full of people you are dying to know more about and I get that but there is a difference between being closed off and being approachable. Talking to new people for no apparent reason is hard but making yourself approachable is easy. Meeting new people can be as committed as joining a club or as simple as smiling and making eye contact. Either way is good and is a step in the right direction.
Whenever I look at someone I can’t help but wonder about their life. I wonder why they are wearing the clothes they are, why they’re in this place and what they’re feeling at this moment. Before I creep you out, I’ll get to my point. Everyone you see has so much to say and to give. Never underestimate anyone’s mind because there is a wonderful story to be told and a great person to get to know. Everyone in life is a possible friend. No matter what their age or race or gender, every single person you see can show you or tell you something you never knew. I hope that everyone knows not to take people for granted. We are all human, and there should be no limit to the number of friends or even just friendly acquaintances we keep. How to make friends
How do we make friends these days? Our society is undergoing a major shift in how we interact with each other and I believe it is largely due to smartphones and the technological revolution. When smartphones and apps all became popular years ago, we were mesmerized, fascinated and head over heels in love with these new little devices. Now, we are almost like drones, obsessed and incapable of going on without them. “There’s an app for that,” is the rue of my existence. Some commercials these days claim that there is no other way to meet people than to get the app for their dating website. There are so many things wrong with that, “I can’t even.” But really, people need to stop thinking this way and giving into the idea of “everyone’s doing it, so I probably should, too.” This idea is feeding on our emotions and brainwashing us. The bad news is, it’s working for them. These dating websites, smartphone developers and app developers are succeeding in making us do exactly what they want, at our cost. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, none of these new ways of doing things are free. It costs an arm and a leg to keep riding this bandwagon, and once you’re on, you’re probably not getting off. Just because technology has infiltrated our lives in almost every way, doesn’t mean we can’t continue with the good old fashioned way, too. We can talk on the phone instead of text. We can delete Tinder and join a club or go somewhere new. We can give a compliment instead of a “like.” Humans today need to consciously make an effort to keep their heads up (especially when walking), simply because you never know who you could pass by or have an enlightening conversation with. Life is very short and I think we all need to start realizing that playing on our phones is not a meaningful way to spend it.
Taylor Braat
Editor in Chief
