A Positive Experience Chatting with a Stranger: “This is how it should be!”
Location: Red Line metro, at Silver Spring
Time: Daytime (9:30am-3:30pm)
“I hope more people can engage in friendly conversations without feeling threatened or uncomfortable.”
I want to share a positive experience. Today on the metro a man struck up a conversation with me. I did not have a book out nor was I listening to an ipod. He was polite and kept his distance. We ended up casually chatting for the rest of his time on the metro. Only once did he compliment a physical aspect of my body (eyes, which is still in the realm of appropriate things to say in my book) and I thanked him for the compliment and continued our conversation. He took my acknowledgement and then brush off of the comment in stride. We shook hands as he left.
It was an overall pleasant conversation with another person. Afterwards I thought to myself, “That’s how it should be!” Being polite and even trying to indicate interest in another person is fine, but if the other person reacts to the interest by moving the conversation along or looking uncomfortable, then it is time to leave it alone. If I had been interested in more than a friendly conversation I had many openings to express those feelings. When I did not, it was not a problem.
I hope more people can engage in friendly conversations without feeling threatened or uncomfortable. Kudos to this man for reading my signals and for being a decent person. I read so many frustrating, scary and familiar stories about street harassment that I wanted to share a positive experience. Approaching someone or striking up a conversation should not be frightening.
Emphases by CASS.
Submitted 7/3/13 by “EM.”
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