Hello Hello

Just today, started saying hello to complete strangers on the street. From living here in Vancouver all my life I know it's not super common, but I thought it might be cool and make things more cheerful and less crappy.

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I love this

May 6, 2022 at 9:34pm

and this is exactly what I've been wanting to do for a little while now -- just say hi to lots of people I've never met.

I was at a Chinese restaurant a few years ago, and there was an adorable older middle-aged lady who was doing this to everyone who walked in. It felt warm and very connecting

It requires going out of your comfort zone a bit, probably, but I think it's worth it. :)

19 2Rating: +17

Hi!

May 6, 2022 at 9:34pm

How's it going? And thanks! : )

Just wanted to get that in before the crabby-pants people here try to steal your thunder and rain on your parade.

Hello Hello, Good for you

May 6, 2022 at 9:56pm

My niece moved to Vancouver several years ago, she was a super cheerful, wonderful girl who became a nurse, but I watched the transition from van isle girl to Vancouverite. She wouldn't say hello to anyone like she would on the island, bought a black wardrobe etc... She lost something moving to Vancouver, partially conformity played a role and that makes me sad, but also Vancouverites contain cheerfulness. I think they mistakenly see it as something provincial and unsophisticated, and the locals will knock that spirit out of you. One day her mother came over from the island, and we went for a walk with my niece and her mother was saying hello to complete strangers and my niece said "Mom stop talking to strangers!" Assimilation complete.

22 6Rating: +16

Our society can be so superficial

May 6, 2022 at 10:18pm

The typical greeting is: 'Hello how are you?' and the typical replay: 'Fine how are you? When what people often want to do is cry a river of tears. The large blue skinned hominoids in the movie Avatar greet each other with the words 'I see you' . The Swahili of E. African greet each other with the world Sawbunya ... the literal translation 'I see you.' The inner life translation is 'my heart feels your heart' and we are supposed to keep it real ! Sawbunya

22 3Rating: +19

You are...

May 6, 2022 at 10:28pm

... allowed to say hello to people. You can also stop and talk to them about the weather. Some people are not used to it, but it is a fine thing to do, esp. with neighbors.

17 9Rating: +8

Dhsjsdh

May 6, 2022 at 10:42pm

Fantastic!

18 3Rating: +15

Some areas of the Lower Mainland

May 6, 2022 at 10:44pm

…are notably friendly. Shout out to Tsawwassen, the folks walking the dyke in Richmond, the area near Sapparton Skytrain where the kids would wave hello. On early morning runs and bike rides, people nod and smile, acknowledging another early riser. People in Vancouver are pretty aloof. I like your attempt to break the ice.

21 2Rating: +19

Good plan

May 7, 2022 at 8:45am

I do it all the time, can really see a difference between small towns and the city. Catches people by surprise and I usually get smiles and a greeting back. If you look for smiles, you will find them. If you spread happy it is contagious and will help stomp out all of the hate that has been propagated as of late. A small but effective step to making our world a better place to live in.

18 2Rating: +16

Most of our Great Grandparents

May 7, 2022 at 9:45am

lived in extended families, villages & tribes before the human race went sideways into the rat race. The extended family digressed into the 'nuclear family' around the same time as they nuked Hiroshima and Nagasaki ending WW2 with a nuclear bang. Then the nuclear family further digressed into a heap of single parent loners, and then even more sadly a heap of throw away children and now the rat race is heading towards the sci fi dystopia of no parents at all; the test tube baby factories that Aldous Huxley warned us about in 'Brave New World.' Come on people! Rise above the false duality of rightys vs. leftys / vaxers vs. anti-vaxers / conspiracy OCD know-it-little or nothings. Don't take sides. Take the forward. Stand for truth, beauty and goodness. A'Ho

Me too

May 7, 2022 at 12:04pm

I've been doing the same thing here like I used to for my whole life really.
I say Morning to people when I'm walking.
I'm not in Vancouver anymore and I find the people here to be much nicer and not so afraid to say Hello or chat with you.
I wish it could have been different in Vancouver and I tried it there too saying good morning but people dissed me. Maybe they thought I was going to ask for money or a muffin or something so I didn't bother anymore in Vancouver.
Feels nice to say " Morning again " :)

15 2Rating: +13

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