Maybe twice or more a week I take coffee at the cafe across the road, and while in the morning I will order a long black, if I visit in the afternoon before 3.00, closing time, I order a double espresso. There are three outdoor tables, each sitting four people, and yesterday, all tables were occupied, one by a woman I know by sight as a regular customer.
It is just really politeness, not an actual request, but I asked if she minded if I sat at her table, she said, of course, please sit. I sat diagonally opposite here. She asked if I was having my usual espresso. Hmm, she's noticed me before.
She might be 55 or so, well enough dressed and made up. I let the conversation die, and we both occupied ourselves with our phones. I was thinking to myself, this is ridiculous and when my coffee arrived I asked if she lived nearby, which was silly, as obviously she does.
That broke the phone focus and we chatted about all sorts of things but her constant was her loneliness, and especially how hard it was for her during Covid lock down. She visits the cafe mainly for contact with people.
I mentioned my late partner without being gender specific. But I made sure she saw my little finger painted with black nail polish, lest she goes down a wrong path.
My hard head says, be careful. My heart says, no harm. It's nice to have a chat.
Much to YP's horror, I probably would have preferred to just keep looking at my smart phone.
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A little gentle communication is no harm. You probably made her day.
ReplyDeleteIt's okay to make friends. And she may want nothing more than a casual chat once in a while.
ReplyDeleteOh you're funny that you would have preferred looking at the phone. I probably would have also. I think telling a stranger you are lonely could be a red flag event for the stranger and sometimes dangerous for the person confessing that to the stranger. At least here in America where plenty of people would jump to exploit that.
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