There seems to be a difference when walking/biking the path in a local park versus one that runs for miles and connects to various other towns. When I walk at my local park or nature center, most people make brief eye contact and we nod, say hello, or offer a pleasant upturn of the corners of mouth (if not a full-on smile). But if I take to the longer trail, the one that is often in remote areas, folks are not as likely to acknowledge my existence. Though I'd estimate that about 75% do nod. I'm a woman though. And myself, I'm more likely to make better eye contact with another woman than a man. Now, if that man is older (eg walking slow, maybe solo), you bet I'll offer a smile (I can probably outrun someone older!). Older folks spend more time alone and offer (and need) more smiles from strangers. Thanks for your thoughtful post! And thanks for continuing to at least make brief 👀 contact for those who need it.
My Dad always did that, and it’s one of my earlier memories of him (he passed this last year at age 101). When I was a teen, it used to embarrass me to no end. I mean “Dad, we don’t KNOW these people?”
Had I been acting less like a teenager I would have noticed how people reacted to my father, the kindness and respect he got even as he gave it out. I would have noticed how he looked upon these paths we walked on, like spent memory, the peace of the trail, the smile of another, at the simple of joy of muscle and motion powering past those things that weighed us down, disappearing in the joy of a simple “Hello”, “How are you?”, “Great day, isn’t it!”, uttered to complete strangers
I wish I’d paid more attention to that simple lesson, that those small acts of kindness can propel us out from under that shield we make for ourselves when faced with the unknown, or the simply “different”, hiding underneath it as if it's some armor we don without knowing the full extent of what it’s protecting us from.
Thanks for the eloquent reminder. - L.B. "Brigid" Johnson
There seems to be a difference when walking/biking the path in a local park versus one that runs for miles and connects to various other towns. When I walk at my local park or nature center, most people make brief eye contact and we nod, say hello, or offer a pleasant upturn of the corners of mouth (if not a full-on smile). But if I take to the longer trail, the one that is often in remote areas, folks are not as likely to acknowledge my existence. Though I'd estimate that about 75% do nod. I'm a woman though. And myself, I'm more likely to make better eye contact with another woman than a man. Now, if that man is older (eg walking slow, maybe solo), you bet I'll offer a smile (I can probably outrun someone older!). Older folks spend more time alone and offer (and need) more smiles from strangers. Thanks for your thoughtful post! And thanks for continuing to at least make brief 👀 contact for those who need it.
I agree there are many factors that go into this. And of course, this was one ride on one day. Far from scientific, right? Simply a snapshot.
Here's for hoping we all take a moment just to acknowledge each other!
Of the 25% in my local paths who ignore me, almost all are on their phones. You make good points!! We all need to look up more than we look down ;-)
My Dad always did that, and it’s one of my earlier memories of him (he passed this last year at age 101). When I was a teen, it used to embarrass me to no end. I mean “Dad, we don’t KNOW these people?”
Had I been acting less like a teenager I would have noticed how people reacted to my father, the kindness and respect he got even as he gave it out. I would have noticed how he looked upon these paths we walked on, like spent memory, the peace of the trail, the smile of another, at the simple of joy of muscle and motion powering past those things that weighed us down, disappearing in the joy of a simple “Hello”, “How are you?”, “Great day, isn’t it!”, uttered to complete strangers
I wish I’d paid more attention to that simple lesson, that those small acts of kindness can propel us out from under that shield we make for ourselves when faced with the unknown, or the simply “different”, hiding underneath it as if it's some armor we don without knowing the full extent of what it’s protecting us from.
Thanks for the eloquent reminder. - L.B. "Brigid" Johnson
Beautifully said. Would love to have met your father. :)