Take a genuine interest in the lives and wellbeing of strangers

I love hearing about other people’s lives, talking to (or rather listening to) people on trains, buses, sat nearby in cafes. The frustrating part is knowing you will never see them again. I’d like to start giving my email address out to those who might want to keep in touch. Two examples are a girl who was about to emigrate to Australia, we seemed to get on well, and on the same day, one who had just returned from travelling around India. So wish we’d swopped details, so sad that I’ll never know how they are getting on.

But yes, despite this certainly worth doing – find out more about the people you share the planet with. And it’s an excellent antidote to the unremitting, scare-mongering we receive from the media.