say 'hi' to at least one stranger each day

Today while walking through the park across the street on my way to yoga, I passed a middle-aged woman and her dog. Just as I was crossing them I remembered to say hi, and got no response, so I turned my head to look back after I passed, and she was looking at me, so I gave her a big smile. She smiled back. Nice!

If I can do this naturally every day this week, I can close this goal.

I was rollerblading with my dog and encountered a pedestrian male, late 30’s, with steel briefcase and blackberry and artsy/alternative/regular look (in a word: attractive. elaboration: obviously employed and probably similar to me in interests). We exchanged a look, but I didn’t say hi and it’s probably my job to (guys starting up conversations with girls on the street smacks of annoying!). He was surely on his way to his car, maybe he passed me as it was a one-way street I was going down. At least I know I looked good – dog on one hand, strappy heels in the other, and I’m a graceful skater on the downhills.

had to introduce myself to everybody in the room during a little class in networking. I did fine, but I found the class annoying and tiring.

however I did meet a guy who specializes in sound production who I’d like to continue a conversation with.

Aside from that, most days i do have a “hello” type of interaction with someone. But I’ve rarely gone out the door with the thought “today while I’m out, say hello to someone.” And so I haven’t closed this goal. I’m not doing anything out of the ordinary, or changing my habits other than thinking/noticing that I do sometimes talk with strangers.

So I’ve been going to the World Film Festival for the past few days, seeing all the Scandinavian movies in the programme (I would sooooo love to document everything I saw, how I felt, everything I’m just ¡¡bursting!! at the seams to tell someone but… I don’t have the time or the audience to do it justice. I wish I had someone to talk to about it.) Tonight before Bang Bang Orangutang started (Danish film in Swedish, starring Lena Olin and the mega-actor Mikael Persbrandt!) I turned to the girl who sat beside me and we talked about how we picked the movies we saw…at the end we both talked about how pleased we were at how it ended up, and the emotions.

Then I went across the street between movies to the ultimate tea house in Montreal. And it was packed, so I had to wait. A man gave me his seat, and spoke to me in a strange accent, and seemed to want something but I couldn’t tell what… then when a table opened up for me I got it, and gave him back his seat, and we exchanged a few more words. The waiter shortly intervened because he thought the man was bothering me, and I thought that was premature, strange as the man was, so I said I was fine. Then three minutes later, the man sat right down at my table, asking me if I wasn’t a student (eh, don’t you wish) and what was I doing here, etc. The waiter intervened again and told him outright that it looked like I was there to work (had my books out), and the man said I said he could sit there, and I was beginning to be annoyed. So he moved back to his seat, I worked, and before he left he came to sit with me AGAIN. The waiter was there immediately. The man said “Just one question!” so I agreed; and it was whether I would go see a French movie about California with him. I told him truthfully I already was seeing a movie at that time. So he huffs out.

10 minutes later, he comes back in the tea house, to ask me what kind of movies I like!! This time he finally took the hint.

That waiter was amazing and so diplomatic, too. When I paid my bill, he told me he felt right away the man was just acting a little too strange. I told him it happens to me not infrequently. He said must have strange karma – I agreed, my karma is all over the map.

Karma, for every wierd old guy thinking I’m just the ticket for keeping him company, you have to send me someone who I’d find it a pleasure to be so imposed upon. ‘Cause Karma, I will NOT be doing the imposing.

So at the end of the day I had to get outside in the waning summer sun and take the dog to the canal for a swim and go to the market for beans and garlic for making my pickles. On the walk back home I cut through the park where, typically, a baseball game is being played. And almost at the edge of the park a little boy runs to catch up to me “Madame! Madame!” And he wants to know all about Daisy, if she’s a nice dog, will she like being pet, why do dogs have claws, can he play frisbee with her? And I answer all of his questions and have a little talk with him. Lord he was cute – about four, big for four, blond haired blue eyed, his dad was a brunette (should I drop the ‘e’ for a man, like with blond?) though as I saw when he caught up with the boy!

So that’s the “hi” to a stranger today, made easy.