A Silent "Hello"

A Moment in Judgement

It's difficult coming up with blanket topics to make judgements on as often as I want to post on here (thinking makes me tired...), so I thought I'd try a new segment called "A Moment in Judgement." It's nothing elaborate, just a quick story. Hopefully this'll allow me to post more often and not stare at a blank screen with writer's block.

Side Note: I've decided I need to live blog an awards show. Get excited.

The story: I've developed the habit of smiling and nodding at passersby when I'm walking around. It seems like the nice thing to do once you've made eye contact with someone. A quick smile, a nod, maybe a quiet "hey" if I'm feeling generous. Everyone has some mechanism like this for when they pass by strangers. More outgoing people might give a full-out "Good morning, how are you?" only expecting a response about 50% of the time. More introverted individuals might quickly divert their gaze or stare at the ground. That three second window of opportunity for a social exchange can tell you a lot about a person.

A few weeks ago, I was at work, walking down a hall by myself, and I happened across an older man walking in the other direction. When we got close enough, I gave him a smile and a nod. In exhange, I got a smile, followed by him mouthing a full conversation starter to me. I think what was "said" was "Why hello there! How are you?" I really can't categorize this greeting... it's a combination of introvert and extrovert. I decided to just give him an "A" for effort and keep moving.