Human Encounters

I often think about those I've crossed paths with. Some have been significant players in my life tale. My friends, my family. Others, however, are those small characters that some would forget are part of their story at all.

There is the mechanic who entertained me with his thesaurus laden tales of recent news events and American history. Or the cleaning woman in my building, Maria, who greets me every morning with an exuberant "Buenos dias! Que tal?" as she mops the lobby. What about the security guard at my office, Tony, who counts down for me each and every day how many days left until Saturday. And of course, the kid at the salad shop who never forgets how much I love the sesame bars and makes a special effort to save me one.

Do they take mental note of me as I have of them? Perhaps Maria enjoys our short dialogue every morning because every other person hussles past her as they dart off for work. I wonder if anyone stops to acknowledge the early hours she is working to keep their environment clean and pleasant. It’s possible that the security guard that everyone whisks by at lightening speed in an attempt to punch that ol' clock by 9:30 a.m. appreciates that I slow to engage in our ritualistic approaching weekend banter. Maybe the kid at the salad shop gets a kick from my childish glee at being offered my sesame bar. I am merely speculating as to where, or if, I've blipped on their radar.

It would be easy think that these people are not significant players in my story, but really, they are. They have engraved themselves in a small nitch in my memory. When you think about it, there are countless characters such as these in our lives that we interact with on a daily basis, yet don’t always acknowledge. Some are a one shot encounter, such as the person in the car next to you at the stop light that you have the opportunity to exchange grins with. Perhaps the person waiting beside you at the crosswalk that you discuss the horrible traffic conditions with. Others are those that you "know" – the ones you see every day as you rush to catch the bus or wait in line next to in Starbucks. You know the ones, those you recognize on the street, but have never talked to.

In our hustle to get to ...where ever it is we are so hurried to get ... we have forgotten the simple pleasure of human interaction. A pleasant and genuine "Good Morning". An authentic smile when you catch someone looking at you, rather than the annoyed "what the hell are you starring at?" reaction. A brief exchange of ideas in the elevator. Taking the time to acknowledge those that perform services for us, such as the janitorial staff at your office. What about saying a caring "hello" to that homeless guy you pass every day? We have missed out on an incredible number opportunities to share a brief moment in life with another.

Have we forgotten to interact? Have we forgotten to appreciate the small human exchanges? Have we forgotten how important even the most minuscule of things actually are? I for one want to remember. I want to remember every face I see and I want it to register that just like me, this person is a story in the making.