Hello……Hello?

I had an experience this summer and it has bounced around in my mind since.

Summer is full of beautiful weather, birds, outdoor activities…and FESTIVALS! This past summer I decided to volunteer at a local weekend festival. I was given the duty of standing at the entrance and greeting people. Now, it was also my responsibility, as this was a fundraising event, to stand beside the giant barrel that was glowing pink and doing its own job of asking for donations. I was only to give salutations and leave the barrel to the asking.

A festival for me is a fun time. Friends, laughs and FOOD. Well, it just so happened that this particular festival was centred around food. A Ribfest. I looked forward to the task, envisioning people coming in to the festival and excited to be there. Fun would be at my fingertips as folks exuberantly returned my greetings. Or so I thought…

It turned out that most of the people greeted preferred to mumble a ‘hello’ to the ground, rather than look at me.

Was it something about that shining pink barrel that had people intimidated?? Were people avoiding me and my eye contact, thinking that in turn they were avoiding my request to dig in their pockets? Perhaps. If so, then are we creating a society where people feel that they do not have the right to say ‘no’ without a burden of guilt…or subconscious reprimand?

Or, do we live in a society where we have focused so much on teaching our kids to “not talk to strangers” that our adults are believing it too? What is happening to comradary? Community? Kindness? Why are we building up fortresses around ourselves that prevent the kindness of strangers from entering? What benefit will that bring to us and the world around us?

…lilybelle