The last Friday in July is “National Talk in an Elevator Day.” I know what you’re thinking – these days there’s a day for everything, which is kind of true. However, there is some merit in the idea behind National Talk in an Elevator Day.
Although I don’t find myself in a ton of elevators on Cape Cod, I run into strangers all the time and attempt to make conversation. Yesterday evening at the beach, my husband and I struck up a conversation with another family. Our toddlers were roughly the same age and seemed to be circling each other in the way toddlers do.
We found out they were visiting from outside of Boston. They normally get a vacation rental in the Eastham area or even Truro, but they waited too long and this was their first time staying more in the mid-Cape area. It turned out that they didn’t know the area that well and had just arrived that day. We were able to give them information about the beach, local library groups and playgrounds for the kids, and restaurant recommendations.
My mother says I never met a stranger, and my husband is even more of an extrovert than I am. On our first date, over drinks, we ended up making friends with the table next to us in a crowded British pub. I believe that everyone has a story to tell, which is probably why I got into the communication field and spent a decade as a journalist.
It turns out there are some benefits to talking to strangers, too. A recent study conducted in Chicago showed that 100 percent of the people who struck up conversations during their commute found the “stranger” did want to talk to them. Afterwards, both parties, when interviewed, felt positive about the interaction and felt happier than they did on commutes when they didn’t speak to anyone.
Another study found that having positive social interactions can make you happier than can earning more money!
Take today to talk to someone you don’t know – whether you’re in line together at the supermarket, at the beach or park, or in a waiting room. The response might surprise you!