meeting strangers

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Do you like to do it? Would you, for instance, go meet a bunch of online journalists in Pittsburgh? Do you go on blind dates? Do you introduce yourself to strangers at parties?

-- Anonymous, October 12, 2000

Answers

People always look at me like I have three heads when I say this but I like meeting strangers. And I like public speaking. There, I said it!

I would definatly go to Pittsurgh, even though I'm not an online journalist, it just sounds like fun. Never did the blind date thing (got married too young for that) but I would do it if, God forbid, anything happened to my DH.

Finally, I spend most of the night introducing myself to strangers at parties. I try to get like minded people talking to each other. It's somewhat of an obsession for me. Once there are no more shy and/or lonely people stuck in corners by themselves at parties, I feel like I can go home and sleep in peace.

-- Anonymous, October 12, 2000


I like meeting and talking to strangers too. I find it disarms nasty people before they can say something mean (most of the time.) I especially like it in other cities/states/countries. I would definitely go to an online journalers convention (I like all kinds of conventions.) What a blast! No blind dates, thank god.

-- Anonymous, October 12, 2000

When my brother started college and I went up to visit him I learned how to introduce myself to strangers, since no one would know who I was when we went to parties. That helped when I started college - I would meet one or two people, then we would go around and introduce ourselves to other people. I pretty much became a pro at it once I moved permanently to VA and would go out with my now-husband to his work functions. Since I got married if we are invited somewhere and my husband doesn't want to/can't go, I'll just go alone. I've gone to a huge engagement party in another state alone(husband didn't like the family giving the party) and met a ton of people and had a blast - I think I more fun than if my husband was there. I've also gone to a wedding alone and had a good time getting to know the people I'm seated at the table with.

If I wasn't married I probably wouldn't mind going on a blind date.

-- Anonymous, October 12, 2000


I've done it several times. In short, blind dates have pretty much always been bad, but online friends have been quite nice. Some that I met nearly 8 years ago are still my friends and it's been very enriching to have them in my life.

I just recently had a nice dinner with a bunch of local people and it was a success and no one hated anyone else, so I'm sure we'll do it again.

And Dwanollah and I have both met people in strange locations who had similar musical interests, dreading that it would suck, and it most emphatically did not suck. We had a blast.

I'd go to Pittsburgh if I got invited, I bet it will be fun. :)

-- Anonymous, October 12, 2000


Yes, I would for instance, go meet a bunch of online journalists in Pittsburgh. I *did*, y'all.

And I was very nervous about going. I worried that everyone would hate me. And not everyone does, just the ones that I hate back.

I'm just kidding. No, I'm not.

I've never been on a blind date, but I would have.

I usually talk to the people sitting in the corner that are staring at the potted plant, because I figure they just need that one person to give them a little boost to talk to everyone there.

I'm shy, I swear.

-- Anonymous, October 12, 2000



I can usually do the "right" thing - be gracious, introduce myself, make appropriate small talk, look alert... but inside I am frantic with self-doubt about EVERYTHING... and, for some reason, I come across as conservative (and I am not) so, if I make a joke or say something sarcastic I can see people re-evaluating me favorably - but it bugs me that MOST people misjudge from the get go despite some pretty good effort on my part (and minty fresh breath!).

--- ---

-- Anonymous, October 12, 2000


I've worked in bars for so long, I always speak to strangers now and find it hard to hold back from getting them a drink. Or carrying around cocktail napkins. :) I'm a talker, so a blind date isn't that threatening to me, they usually go okay for me.

-- Anonymous, October 13, 2000

I've met some strange ones, but I don't think I've ever met a stranger. I used to make my mother frantic when I was a tot because I would talk to absolute strangers and make unwelcome (but purely innocent) observations like: "You're real old, huh?" My mom used to threaten to put a band aid on my mouth when we went to the store together because she was afraid I'd make a pithy observation about someone in line, etc.

-- Anonymous, October 13, 2000

Pittsburg!!! God why would anyone want to go to Pittsburg? Unless it was to meet Floosie for dinner. And journalists? Why? A blind date. Hell ya! And strangers are only strangers until you talk to them. Some of my best friends were strangers once. James

-- Anonymous, October 14, 2000

My best friend kept 'jokingly' ragging on me for going up to Toronto to meet up with my 'Internet cronies' this weekend, but only because she's ignorant about the whole online thing. So yes, I would do it, but eventually the odds are going to catch up with me and someone I meet is going to suck hard, because so far everyone's been great (Gwen, Maggie, et al -- your ears should be burning).

-- Anonymous, October 16, 2000


Although it seems like I'm always meeting strangers from online, I'm really usually nervous as hell about meeting actual strangers. I think I'm a good judge of character and I usually only meet online peeps if I've "talked" to them for a while and they seem safe.

Keli, I so totally admire your bravery for going to JournalCon. I would never do that. I can't even imagine it. I would go, sit in the corner, and silently freak out.

I have no problem small-talking with strangers, because it's no skin off my back to be friendly to someone I'll never see again. But I have deep-rooted fears of actually meeting people and trying to socialize with them. I feel like strangers meeting me for the first time immediately jump to millions of unflattering conclusions, and I usually can't be bothered to try to prove them otherwise.

-- Anonymous, October 17, 2000


I can small talk just about anybody, too. But I don't generally like to "meet" strangers. A friend of mine seems to have some sort of compulsion which forces her to strike up intimate conversations with any and all strangers in her field of view at any time. That bugs me. I'd just really rather not.

Now, if there was a specific convention/conference/whatever of people with whom I shared some common interest or profession, then yeah I could that. I've done that, as a matter of fact. I went to a great graphic design one-day seminar downtown early this year and met a total stranger with whom I ended up going to lunch and sharing a few emails.

And if I'm at a party, then I do introduce myself to people there I don't know. I don't make a point of it, nor do I sort of "make the rounds" and make sure I shake everyone's hand or anything like that. I just dislike cliques and if I see or hear someone interesting at a party I will try to connect, if only for the duration of the evening.

I've never been on a blind date. I've never been to Pittsburgh. I don't care to do either, thanks. :-)

-- Anonymous, October 17, 2000


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