I live in the south, and it is unthinkable NOT to talk to strangers. Talking to strangers is just like breathing, it is something you just do, you don’t make it a conscience effort. When I’m in the grocery store and want advice on how to cook something, I just go up to an older woman, (they still know how to cook), and carry on a conversation like she was my grandmother. And it’s just not small towns, I moved to TN from Houston and I would always talk to people in the elevators. I always knew if someone was visiting from up north, they would give me a “are you crazy” look, and stare silently at the elevator door.