Human interaction stuff that makes you smile

originally posted by: grainofsand
a reply to: TNMockingbird

The song about strangers being friendly and nice to each other!
If I was musical I'd compose it

There is a guy in my area who walks like Forrest Gump, miles every day around local towns and villages. He never makes eye contact so over the years we've never spoken but I know he recognises me.

Anyway, today I was 5 miles out of town and going his direction so stopped the van and asked if he wanted a lift.
He smiled warmly and said no thanks, then I said we've passed each other most days but never said hello so hiya I'm Tony, offering a handshake.
We shook hands, smiled and went on our ways...His name is Adam, I will say hello again.

Little things but human contact in our screen based world's.

You're NOT musical?

That was nice that you and Adam interacted and in my world (I know that you don't believe this way, necessarily) there is a reason for that interaction on this day, in this place and time. We may never know the reason for it but, I believe in it and that/those types of situations make me smile. I won't mess your thread up with my woo stuff though.

I DO believe Adam is a wise man though...your van is a white panel van I seem to remember?!

a reply to: TNMockingbird

Haha I can strum a few chords on an acoustic guitar but poorly.

No worries with woo in this thread, although I'm a skeptic of pretty much everything I keep an open mind and today felt the best time for first contact.
Who knows, maybe one of us will need some assistance in the future and recognise each other as friendly faces.

And yeah white panel van...bad things can happen in the back of white panel vans lol...I know a pig farmer as well.

a reply to: grainofsand

Who knows, maybe one of us will need some assistance in the future and recognise each other as friendly faces.

Exactly...that's so good.

And yeah white panel van...bad things can happen in the back of white panel vans

There are different definitions of bad...LOL

a reply to: TNMockingbird

Like if it has a mattress, and whether the mattress is stained?

originally posted by: Learningman
a reply to: TNMockingbird

Like if it has a mattress, and whether the mattress is stained?

Sure but, what if the mattress is for long road trips and the stain is simply from Jane spilling her strawberry punch she was drinking on the way to the beach?

a reply to: TNMockingbird

No room in the back of my van for bad things anyway it's an 'organised mess' of tools n stuff lol.

I'll talk to anyone, and although I can be a frosty prick on ATS, in real life I can't hide my warmth for fellow humans.

I recently asked a girl who serves me occasionally at a supermarket why she ditched her beautiful blonde hair for brunette lol, young enough I was not being creepy, more like friendly honest genuine dad mode.

She replied sadly that other people had said they didn't think it suited her although she loved it.
I told her like a dad to # everyone else if she loved it and love herself always before loving the crowds approval. She said thank you and we parted.
She's blonde again now and her smiling face the other day was lovely to see.

a reply to: grainofsand

Fantastic!

She was made happy again. Why is it that folks spend so much time and energy breaking others down when building them up is so much fun for both?

Makes little sense, doesn't it?

a reply to: TNMockingbird

Yes, and that tiniest bit of empathy and kindness of contact can be massive to other humans!

There's an ancient old man walks with two sticks really slow with his equally ancient dog to the beach every morning and I reckon he'll go when the dog does.
I introduced myself one day when I was on foot a year or so ago and ever since then I shout "Morning boss" or similar with a wave as I pass in the van to work.

We both make each other smile but we are effectively strangers....it's a strange world lol

a reply to: grainofsand

Sometimes relative strangers are all the interaction one may have/or feel able to have in the world.

Sometimes those relative strangers can mean more to an individual than another could easily comprehend.

How incredibly sad and beautiful that thought is, to me.

Virtual ((hugs)) my friend.

a reply to: TNMockingbird

Ah virtual hug back and to all good folk I 'know' on ATS


I've mellowed in the digital world as well this year, really enjoy some of the folk I disagree most with lol

Human interaction is crazy now compared to when I grew up though....I worry that the real people around us will become less important while everyone is looking at screens.

I see groups of people together all looking at their own screens, not talking, I'm adapting to it, but feel almost saddened.

a reply to: grainofsand

I know I'm guilty of it sometimes but it is sad when you go to the pub now and everyone's looking down at their phones instead of at each other. I guess that's partly the reason for the thread, no way you can tell me ten years ago you'd have made a thread about normal human interaction.

On the plus side, id had a few when i went to the shop for some more 'supplies' earlier and had a chat with the till woman, turns out she also buys long cig papers for 'long rollups' too, and if there's anything more heartening and human than admitting your foibles I don't know what is.

And a hug to you all too

a reply to: Learningman

My favourite and local pub is proper back alley, accessed only by stone steps foot path, and a mobile deadzone with thick stone walls a couple of hundred years old.

My son's favourite as well, feels free of social media when he's there.

...and yep imagine a thread like this a decade or so ago lol

Love your story as well haha!
It's great chatting genuinely with people we meet, life should be like a 90's rave!

a reply to: grainofsand

I'm more a fan of quiet home doo jobbys, at least you get to pick the music, failing that a pub with live music still seems to have teh atmosphere we are looking for compared to others, you are lucky with yours.

90's rave? I don't think my teeth could take that now

a reply to: TNMockingbird

God dammit Jane no open beverages in my van.

a reply to: Learningman

Same, house parties more than clubs but pub I pop in for a cheeky pint and game of pool most days.

It's the community meeting thing, meeting strangers face to face, having a laugh with friends, meeting useful people and talking about stuff you wouldn't want on the internet cloud.

Lol@teeth!
Loved up is the way forward for society I reckon.


*edit*
The mobile deadzone in my local nails it though, nobody is looking at screens so actually interact with each other.

a reply to: grainofsand

Yeah my local pubs are dire, I try to get out to a club or bup or bar with some live music at least once a month, or failing that a rock club in the next city, cant beat it. Reminds me of another cheery story, at the local rock club I go to I went first time with a lady friend, and had a blast, being a country lad double whiskys for £2 was unbelievable.

Anyway, always a group of lads and lasses stood in one corner keeping themselves to themselves cause cliques don't stop with college apparently, and naturally when a pantera jam comes on and I see one has a pantera tee-shirt on, I bopped my way over and we had a grand time dancing like idiots, got the number of one of them and he drew up the last tattoo I got. Ladyfriend thought I was uncool and never really saw much of her after that, but me and the lads had a blast, and I got the impression they don't hang free too much.

Been there myself and its a hard place to leave, I'd say some of that old fashioned 90's style 'loved up'ness helped me a treat though.

a reply to: Learningman

Haha cool story
I love walking into the local and the bar staff know what I'm drinking ready with glass in hand at the pump.

'Loved up ness' is a thing

a reply to: grainofsand

Too true, some of my best evenings were spent 'loved up' in a leather jacket, dreadlocks, with piercings, invited back to 'Adidas tucked in socks and a fred perry shirt' chaps homes for an aftersesh, so little in common on the first view but pure love and good times when it gets down to it.

2 worlds collide, and it was all love.

reply to: Learningman

Haha brilliant!
...be careful with ATS t&c's though lol, we're skirting the edge here.

a reply to: grainofsand

I'll have to tell you this, since it's made me smile - NO .. laugh loudly, if I'm honest - for several days now.
It's really not that funny, but for some reason I can't stop smiling when I think about it. I've been feeling a bit crap for a couple of weeks; sore head, tired, too much work and when I saw this a few days ago it cheered me up no end.

You are the only other human on this planet who might also be amused.

I give you...The Sheep 'Passant'.