I went for a walk the other day. As I was waiting to cross the street, a car drove by. Perched on its roof was a coffee mug. I waved at the driver and pointed at the mug, which he had presumably left there as he got ready to go to work or run some errands.
The driver waved back and kept going. I’m sure he was impressed by the friendly old guy pointing to his car.
It was a case of another coffee mug in peril. I’m sure many people have done the same thing. I know I have.
There are a lot of things that we share beyond the loss of an occasional coffee mug.
Each day it becomes more apparent to me that there is an inherent good in people. Sure, there are a few clinkers out there. Some are dull, greedy, self-absorbed and ornery loudmouths.
But I promised not to write about politicians.
The 99% of the rest of the folks you will encounter on any given day are bright, curious, interesting, thoughtful and more than a little kind. Some are also, well, unique. It’s not that they are wrong; they just need to check a few facts – and throw their smart phone in the river.
I have written at length about how and why information found on the internet needs to be verified.
Just the other day I was informed that the federal government was controlling the weather using satellites. It is a ploy formerly used by the Soviet Union, I was told. The idea was that cold weather would convince Congress to allow more oil drilling to keep people warm. Certainly a nefarious plot. I was also told that all of this information is readily available on the “dark web.”
As an old-school editor, I often use the “sniff test.” Does a statement make sense? Does it seem realistic? Is it attributable to a credible source? Has it been verified by scientific research?
Such a test helps me determine when conversations are for entertainment purposes only. That way, I didn’t have to worry about whether a James Bond villain is trying to take over the world.
Our encounters provide us with a shared experience. Most often, those encounters are also a shared delight. They are something to enjoy and more entertaining than a roomful of kittens.
These exchanges might not be the most profound, but they are a means of touching base with folks with whom we share a neighborhood or even a town. Such exchanges are not confined to small towns. Even in the largest cities, I have had extraordinary encounters.
Chance encounters can create magic. It’s our shared experiences that often begin with a nod and a wave that can bring us together for a few words and a few thoughts. No judgment. No debate.
Just people sharing the experience of life.
“How are you today, Mrs. Jones?”
“Fine, and how are you?”
From there, one can never tell where a conversation will lead.
Carl Sampson is a freelance editor and writer. He lives in Stayton.
