When I see people in the street that I sort of know but don't know too well, I tend to avoid them. I don't say hi and I try not to make eye contact. I was thinking about this the other day and I came up with two reasons. Firstly, I guess I'm just shy. I'm afraid I won't know what to say and it'll end up just us staring at each other. I also dread that awkward moment where the other person is visibly panicked while wracking his/her brain trying desperately to figure out who I am. It's possible that this discomfort alone merits avoidance--just for their sake.

I was thinking about this the other day because I saw a person I had met twice before through Intervarsity while waiting at a bus stop. Last time we spoke, he had no idea who I was and I received that confused stare tinged with embarrassment. I decided to remain in the bus shelter, out of sight. But it was too late: he had seen me and was already on his way walking towards me. It turns out he remembered who I was.

We spoke for a while, talking about our semesters, and how we were both glad that they were over. Do I have any plans for winter break? No, not really: I'm staying here for most of it working on my own stuff; how about him? He's graduating this semester so he's moving back to Texas this weekend to start a new job. I thought about this for a while after he had gotten off the bus. And then it occurred to me what had just happened. Knowing that he'd never see me again, he still decided to talk to me instead of easily avoiding a rather trivial conversation.

I'll never know for sure his motivation for talking to me--whether he was being caring or just bored out of his mind while waiting for the bus--but I'll believe that he was being nice. It made my day, nonetheless, and with little effort on his part. Perhaps I'll start talking more often to people I see but don't know very well. It just might make their day like it made mine.