Strike One

So, attempt number one didn't go so well. I approached an older woman sitting alone on a park bench near Sheep's Meadow. I asked her if she had a few minutes and she sweetly replied that she did, so I sat down next to her and introduced myself. I told her what I had been thinking, and that everyone has a story, with which she immediately closed her eyes, shook her head and said, "I have no story..." After ensuring her that there were no strings attached and that I was just curious, she again said no, so I left.

I also realized that if some random person were to come up to me, I probably would say the same thing, that I have no story. People are so closed off, no one knows who to trust, much less I complete stranger in central park. This of course was discouraging for my first try, but it isn't to be unexpected.

It's going to change from person to person, but I can't expect someone to completely open up to someone they don't know. From now on I really have to introduce myself, say where I'm from, where I go to college, what I'm doing exactly, etc. It's definitely a lot harder to go up to some random person than I thought it would be.

Part of me would love not to do it again, but the curious side of me still wonders who out there has something to say, I'm not going to give up yet.

The Beginning

Who are these people we see every day? Each single person having a story of their own, each unique in itself, many easily able to relate to the other, and all contributing to the tangled web known as life. Where did they come from? How is their life different from how they expected it would be earlier in their lives? What would their reaction be to someone inquiring on that story? Would they be offended, shocked that someone cares enough to know, or maybe unsure of the consequences that opening themselves up to someone could bring? Would it bring relief? Sadness? Pleasant memories or harsh realities? This is what I am on a journey this summer to find out. Will people open up to me, or just ignore the questions. Stay tuned!