Always Talk to Strangers

It dawned upon me over a few instances the past couple weeks that we should always talk to strangers. Why, you may ask, is this an important theory of life (or at least why is it a topic on the internet's most talked about blog?) Well, simply put, as children we are trained by our elders NOT to talk to strangers. They might kidnap us. Or lace our candy with LSD. Or kill us. Or give us really bad advice. Give me a break. I mean, I suppose I can understand why as a youngster you should not speak to weird old vagrants on the street, but this concept really inhibits the mentalities of people around the world as we get older. And touching back on the "tainting candy with drugs" bit...who in their right mind would give away drugs to a stranger? I mean, drugs are expensive, and I imagine most people don't just want to give away their hard earned money, right? But let's not get too far off topic here.

For you avid followers of 'tical, (that's my abbreviation for this blog) I touched upon this concept a couple weeks ago when spinning the yarn of my friend Tyler. Tyler met his current employer in the smoking section of Miami International Airport (see Twist of Fate blog I believe), and the rest is history. He nows lives in Peru, gets paid handsomely, and is having the time of his life. None of this would have happened had he not opened his big, heavily medicated mouth that fateful day in the airport.

I also shared the story of meeting a fellow named Jack in the jacuzzi up in the White Mountains on the Monday morning in which I began this whole journey. Of course, nothing has happened yet with this story, but for some strange reason I have hope that something will. Again, this opportunity would not have risen had I not began "talking to a stranger". Which reminds me, I think today may be the day to send ol' Jack an email.

And then there's the story that gave me the idea for this blog. As we know I was out in Vail, Colorado a couple weeks ago, indulging in some of the finest skiing this planet has to offer. While getting ready to hit the slopes one morning, I noticed a small group of skiers sitting around an outdoor table, wearing Wachusett Racing ski jackets. Now, for those of you non-massholes, Wachusett Mountain is the closest thing the state of Massachusetts has to a ski area. Upon seeing these massholes ( and please, I use the term lovingly) and realized I had a friend and former work colleague who also races for Wachusett. I guarantee they know him, I thought to myself, however we were in a hurry to get up the mountain, so I failed to speak with them.

At the end of the day, all the skiers jump on their respective shuttles and head to their respective condos. This particular shuttle I was on was jam packed, but lo and behold, I see the same Wachusett Racing punks I saw earlier in the day. Now it was the end of the day, the shuttle was packed, I was exhausted from a hard day of skiing, the stars weren't aligned, etc; but again I failed to speak up and ask if they knew my friend and/or just shoot the sh*t for a couple minutes. I mean, maybe one of their fathers was CEO of the World or something, and was looking for some fresh, young talent. But anyway I didn't speak up and we went our separate ways.

Immediately upon my return to the Granite State, (Live Free or Die, Bitches) I spoke with a friend. "Hey, did you know PK was out in Vail the same time you were?" Well suck me sideways that is the same kid I was speaking about. I had to have just missed him on the slopes and on the shuttle. Because I didn't open my mouth, I missed to opportunity to ski with a buddy in Vail, probably indulge in a few pints, and probably have a few laughs with some peers. Not a huge deal, I had a great time with the parents, but nonetheless, a missed opportunity. Listen closely kids: Always talk to Strangers

One more for the road. At the end of my last day at Vail I sat down on a bench in the Village waiting for my parents to store their skis for the day. With a few seconds, an attractive young lady sat down next to me. Always a pleasure. In the spirit Vail, we began a conversation. Turns out she was from Massachusetts and skis at the same mountain I do regularly. She was out on vacation with a group of friends. Oh, the chemistry was palpable. But, never being one to capitalize, my parents came, we said goodbye, and the rest is history. I'm thinking I at least should've handed this girl(lady, woman) one of the personal business cards I made up, and perhaps there could've been a rendezvous back on the East Coast. Put the ball in her court, if you will. Because I'm looking for a skier broad. Sorry, that's my inner Artie Lang speaking. I'm looking for a fun girl who loves to ski. But I was too "yella" to capitalize, so now it's in the hands of fate. If you're out there skier chick, holla back.

So the moral of the story class is this: Always Talk to Strangers. You never know what will arise of the situation. Whether it be a future employer, significant other, friend, friend of a friend, whatever, in this world, life is too short, and we must make the most of it. And if you speak to a stranger and you want more, well, f'n a, ask for it. Worst case they say NO. Big deal. As I have learned in my years of sales training, it takes a few NO's to get to a YES.

If we teach our young ones to be social, to talk to strangers, the world can truly be their oyster. I feel we are almost brought up to be introverts, while the most successful people in this life are extroverts. Unless you are Bill Gates or someone like that who can excel behind a computer screen. Hence, followers of 'tical, live high, live mighty. Go in peace to speak to everyone person you see fit. You never know what you're gonna get...


And yes I plan to practice this theory out in the City of Wind this weekend...