by greyeyesgabriel

Created on: July 01, 2008

STRANGER THAN WHO?

Is it O.K. to talk to strangers? There are so many implications to that question that I don't know where to start. I guess that we should start by defining a stranger. What does define a stranger? Webster's defines a stranger as: 1: one who is strange; as a foreigner, a resident alien b: one in the house of another as a guest, visitor, or intruder c: a person or thing that is unknown d: one who does not belong to or is kept from the acts of a group e: one not party to an act, contract, or title: one that interferes without right 2: one ignorant of or unacquainted with someone or something.

Let us consider the first definition; one who is strange. They go into 4 different explanations of of what defines being strange. not a single one says a weird or odd person, although this is they way most of society defines strange. So, should we talk to "odd" people? Why not? Who defines what is odd or strange as an individual? What I find "normal," you might think "odd." I don't appreciate the word "normal" either, it is undefinable on an individual level. Some of the most interesting conversations or stories that I have ever been party to were with what most would consider strange people. Strange with their facial feature, their piercings, or their suit and tie. I even used to go to the bar, just in the hopes of talking to a stranger person than I am. I have made a lot of friendships and relationships in my life because I wasn't afraid to talk to strangers. But that hits more on the next definition of the word, stranger.

If being unacquainted with someone makes them a stranger then all it takes is an acknowledgment of your existence; whether verbal, visual, or physical; to release them of the title of stranger. If the eyes are the window to the soul, then if someone looks you in the ; are they looking into your soul? And, if they are looking into your soul then have they not acquainted themselves to you; for you are also looking into their soul. I know some of you women get excited when you make eye contact with that guy that you pass in the hall everyday on your way to your cubicle. Just like you love it when you catch a "stranger" checking out your backside; I've seen it the backward glance as you round the corner. Then I say, as an adult, you should talk to as many strangers as you can; the stranger, the better.

Children however, should not talk to adult strangers. It is o.k. if my daughter talks to the strange new little boy in her class, but if she were to talk to some man or woman that is considerably older, then I would have cause for concern. There are a lot of evil people out there that want to do unspeakable horrors to children; it is the parents responsibility, until the age of responsibility, to protect their children with the information they need for survival in the information age. Children are innocent until corrupted by life and experiences. They are unable to protect themselves without guidance, advice, and discipline from their parents; or the adult parent figures in their lives. But they should not be afraid of people looking at them and they should be taught to think for themselves and make judgments and decisions on their own before they are adults. Once they are adults; they should go on to finding those strange people in life.

So, should we talk to strangers? I guess that really depends on the situation, your intuition, and just how "odd" the person is. If no one ever talked to strangers then this would be a lonely, uninhabited world. How would we have met our wives, husbands, boyfriends, girlfriends, or that best friend that you would die for, if we never talked to strangers?

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