To Speak or Not to Speak to Strangers

“Whoever you are, I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.” ~Blanche DuBois, A Streetcar Named Desire

We grew up with listening to our parents telling us, “Don’t talk to strangers.” This warning, though very well-intentioned, has a restrictive nature. It’s one thing to mind your own business or to stay out of someone’s way when you sense danger, but where do you draw the line between acting safely and cutting yourself off from the world? Most of us do not connect with everyone we meet and some of us are more introverted, preferring to keep strangers at a comfortable distance.

But for every stranger we ignore, we forfeit the chance to bring more joy into our lives. When we talk to strangers and open up to someone new and different, we uncover a myriad of opportunities -- opportunities to graciously accept the generosity of someone previously unknown, to discover something in common with a person who may, over time, become a dear friend. Allow a stranger to drop into your life and you may learn something and gain a different perspective.

In his provocative book, The Kindness of Strangers: Penniless Across America, Mike McIntyre shares a journey that took him cashless through the heart and soul of the United States. He relied on the kindness of people he’d never met before. The book inspires reflection on one’s faith in the unknown. With enough faith and the kindness of strangers, that place called the unknown can become a serendipitous and comforting spot somewhere in your future.

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Meet the Publisher

Bonnie Morét is an award-winning photographer recognized by The Georgia Council of the Arts as "an exceptional representation of contemporary Georgia art work." Her photography is featured on Georgia Public Broadcast's Georgia Traveler. Her exhibitions include Fifth Annual Exposure Awards at Musee du Louvre in Paris, France, Art Takes Miami at Scope Art during Art Basel Miami, Metro Montage XIII at the Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art, World of Water at the Georgia Aquarium, Open Walls at Black Box Gallery in Portland, Oregon, Wholly Georgia: A Look at the Effects of Southern Religious Culture, sponsored by the Art History League and Georgia State University, at Mint Gallery in Atlanta, Georgia, 6x6 at the Rochester Contemporary Arts Center in Rochester, New York, @Phonography: Dialogue in the Wireless Age, at 3 Ring Circus in New Orleans, Louisiana, and About Lands and Lives of the Civil War at the 6th Cavalry Museum in Ft. Oglethorpe, Georgia. Her photography appears in Modern Luxury/The Atlantan, Jezebel Magazine, and hangs in the executive offices at the Georgia State Capitol as part of the Art of Georgia exhibit. Corporate clients include Atlanta Ballet, Atlanta History Center, Chanel Cosmetics, Christian Dior Cosmetics, Sharp Mountain Vineyards, PM Realty Group, Granite Properties, Road Atlanta, Patrón Tequila, StubHub, CBM Records and The Washington Auto Show.