I’m at the San Jose airport right now, and it’s such a weird place to be socially. There are all these totally different people that are trying the best they can to interact with people not in the airport. There is this guy on his cell phone that I swear called everyone he knew to tell them, “I’m going to Wyoming, I’ll be back tomorrow, I’m buying a new truck, I love you!” It was just strange. That’s one reason I do and do not want a cell phone. It connects you to people, as long as they are not strangers in your vicinity.
There are a couple of old dudes that I’m guessing just met today and they’re yakking it up having a great time. They don’t have a lap top (like me and 4 others in my sight), a cell phone (like 5 others), or some kind of book or magazine (everyone else except one person who is trying to feed her kid). They just come into the airport as they are, look around, make eye contact, then start up a conversation. They may never see each other again, but the best company to them must be live company.
It kind of depresses me that me and my generation would rather hold a conversation with a computer or through a cell phone that actually have to converse with those around me. I’d strike up a conversation, but then I feel weird, like I’m somehow interfering with their life by interrupting their read.
One guy said “bless you” to me when I sneezed. That was pretty nice. But, he’s reading some really fat book, whose title I can’t see without really looking stupid. I suppose I could just ask. Nah. I’m socially apathetic.