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Talk to a Stranger Today
It’s easier than you think, and it’s never been more important
A few weeks ago, after listening to days of weather forecasts predicting a dramatic snowstorm in my city — and procrastinating on any sort of winter-weather prep — I made my way to Target for an ice scraper just as the snow started to fall. The aisles were bare of all the usual pre-storm suspects: milk, eggs, bread, disinfecting wipes, and, most importantly, anything related to snow removal.
In a stroke of luck, I managed to snag the last scraper in the store, a fact the register attendant commented on as I brought my prize over to checkout. I don’t remember exactly what I said in response — I may have complimented their mask or offered some other platitude about the weather. Quickly though, the brief exchange veered into a more serious conversation about QAnon-adherent family members, election-stealing conspiracies said family members peddled, and the state of the world. In a few minutes, I learned more about this Target employee than I had learned about any other person I’d met face-to-face over the course of the pandemic. I returned to my car feeling the kind of buoyant buzz I get after I tell a secret or gossip with friends. It was a sensation I hadn’t felt in months.
