ADVICE FOR ADULTS ONLY: Always Talk To Strangers

When Gayle and I are out and about traveling in state, around the country, or abroad, we make it a point to strike up a conversation with strangers unless they appear dangerous or unhinged.  Invariably we meet engaging and interesting people who have more in common with us than we could have ever imagined.  Conversely, sometimes they are radically different from us in spite of their appearance and it's loads of fun to listen to their stories.  On a ski trip to Copper Mountain when our three sons were young, we shared a table with a couple our age and their two kids.  Since that day, we've stayed in touch and recently talked about getting together for a visit.  The nice thing about talking to strangers is that if they appear normal but after a minute of conversation we get weird or unwelcome vibes, it's easy to escape by turning on our heels and saying "we've got to join our friends" over our shoulders as we run away.  It rarely happens like that.  Most of the time, it's a very pleasant way to pass a few minutes and share experiences.  It reminds us that most everybody is fairly interesting and that we're all just trying to do the best we can.