This morning I received an invite from Substack to check out Time and Temperature, a blog written by Rhett Miller, from the Old 97’s. Rhett relates his feelings about writing the song Where The Road Goes, and how he was overcome with emotion one day after listening to his own song. He recalls the feeling of brokenness that artists often feel, which in his case came from the social rejection he experienced at an early age.
Your story about getting into a conversation with a couple of "strangers" put me in mind of this quote from Walt Whitman: "STRANGER! if you, passing, meet me, and desire to speak to me, why should you not speak to me? And why should I not speak to you?"
Many newcomers to the Lower Mainland speak of how unlikely people are around here to interact with those they don't know, mostly based on fear of being conned or attacked, or who knows. I always notice whenever I'm stateside how much easier it is to get into conversations with those you don't already know.
Another thing for me, all those years (18.5 between Calgary and Vancouver) in the taxi makes it much easier for me to get into conversations with people I don't yet know.
Sad to say, I suspect it's the case for many millennials, raised by their parents to believe that all strangers mean danger, that it's difficult to break out of that mindset, certainly exacerbated by the way everyone cocoons with their phones now...
Thanks for this, Dennis. I saw the Judy’s at Dallas’ Arcadia Theater on the Moo tour, and it was a hell of a night. Thanks for inspiring a young musician.
I don’t really like the word “stranger”. I prefer “person I haven’t gotten to know yet.” I just went to a tennis tournament where the world’s best players were competing. The whole week was spent getting to connect with people I didn’t know, all of us tennis fans and in good moods. There was sharing of food and stories. No cancer talks, but it did restore my faith in humanity at least for a few days.
Your story about getting into a conversation with a couple of "strangers" put me in mind of this quote from Walt Whitman: "STRANGER! if you, passing, meet me, and desire to speak to me, why should you not speak to me? And why should I not speak to you?"
Many newcomers to the Lower Mainland speak of how unlikely people are around here to interact with those they don't know, mostly based on fear of being conned or attacked, or who knows. I always notice whenever I'm stateside how much easier it is to get into conversations with those you don't already know.
Another thing for me, all those years (18.5 between Calgary and Vancouver) in the taxi makes it much easier for me to get into conversations with people I don't yet know.
Sad to say, I suspect it's the case for many millennials, raised by their parents to believe that all strangers mean danger, that it's difficult to break out of that mindset, certainly exacerbated by the way everyone cocoons with their phones now...
No problem. It happens a bit. I hear we are big in Houston. https://thejudys.bandcamp.com/album/more
Thanks for this, Dennis. I saw the Judy’s at Dallas’ Arcadia Theater on the Moo tour, and it was a hell of a night. Thanks for inspiring a young musician.
I don’t really like the word “stranger”. I prefer “person I haven’t gotten to know yet.” I just went to a tennis tournament where the world’s best players were competing. The whole week was spent getting to connect with people I didn’t know, all of us tennis fans and in good moods. There was sharing of food and stories. No cancer talks, but it did restore my faith in humanity at least for a few days.