In a second
Beep
What do you do when you meet someone new for the first time? Do you bring with you certain hopes or expectations? Do you particularly look out for specific shared interests? Do you sign automatic marital agreements upon your first introduction? What do you do?
The architecture of our public spaces is designed in a way that leaves no other option but to engage in social interactions. Especially if you plan to pursue an education, and receive healthcare, food, housing, public transportation, etc. Social connections are an unavoidable component of these service deliveries. But then, you already know this.
So, here you’re at the bus stop, praying and hoping to get fortunate with the next danfo bus conductor singing any landmark address closest to your destination. But that doesn’t happen, you decide to intensify your prayers. Ten minutes later, you get lucky and a danfo bus going in your direction stops at the bus stop to pick you and a few other lucky people up.
You were so caught up in the moment that you didn’t know the person seated next to you was the same one who had attempted to gain your attention earlier while standing at the bus stop. And now that you’ve established eye contact with this individual, you’ve unwittingly opened the floodgates of conversation, making the charade of not initially seeing them unnecessary. At first, all you will do in response to their queries is nod. Then, you’ll progress to responding with the famed monosyllabic “hmn”.
It took you a few minutes to realise that you were enjoying the discussion, but once you did, you began asking them questions in return. They responded and you asked them additional questions in return with the bus conductor interrupting now and then to announce the next stop. The conversation has graduated into the belly laugh stage and you aren’t holding your laughter. A sign that you were indeed having a blast! Your stop is the next and you wish you could stop time, hamstring it.
You both go your separate ways. Everything that begins must come to an end. You’ve traded bits of yourself that others close to you may have never seen. And you can’t go back to not knowing them; you’ll always carry a part of them with you.
