Mistaken for Strangers: Eyes

Saturday, 25 May 2013

Eyes

On the way back from town today, conscious that no opportunity for conversation had presented itself, but distracted by my book, which I read as I plodded along, I glanced up to get safely across a busy junction and looked straight into a woman's eyes. She was sitting in a black saloon at the lights. She was about 40, hair pulled back, elegant. I looked away politely, then back again and she was still looking straight at me. I smiled broadly and she smiled back. And we each turned away. And we laughed when we both caught each other looking again.

And then the lights changed.

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The project goes Down Under

The following, written over 10 year ago, was the original intro: I devised the project to help deal with stress, but recently the stress, depression (and a period in hospital with pulmonary embolisms) has all been quite paralysing...so there has been a two month lay-off. I am now in Australia to see my sister, who has been here twenty years, and am meeting lots of interesting people. This, therefore, is the perfect opportunity to revive the blog.

Incidentally, you will see that I am experimenting with tenses; frequently shifting into the present; often mixing past and present. I feel it adds immediacy and pace. Let me know if you think it doesn't work.

Would like people to add comments, though I think I need to vet them. Or please email me.

The project

This is a new project. I am going to have a conversation with a different stranger each day. While I have recently been off work with stress (I am a teacher), I have met so many interesting people, mainly because I now have time to stop and talk. I particularly like talking to old people. They have so much to say, once you get them started. And there is substance to what they say, because it is born of experience.

Funnily enough, on my NHS Wellbeing course (which teaches stress management techniques), they suggested getting out of the house more and talking to people. "Of course, I am not saying you should just go up and talk to random strangers in the street; that would be a bit weird." The whole room laughed.

People say that I will talk to anyone. And I think that has always been true. Friends are sometimes embarrassed, I imagine, when I suddenly shoot off and button-hole some old geezer, like the time recently when I pleased this old chap by recognising his Royal Artillery tie...and he then told me about his time in the Korean War. People want to talk, if you give them your time and attention.

This project is not necessarily about making friends. It is not about taking phone numbers or arranging ever to meet again. It is about the pleasure of sharing a short time in a busy day with someone interesting I have never met before.

I recommend you give it a go, too. It is very invigorating. Or as someone I talked to recently said, "It does your heart good".