How Friendly Are You?

Do you live in a major city around wild people? I know Kansas has some big cities, but I've always looked at Kansas as very flat farm/ranch land.

 

The city I'm in has lots of criminal and drug activity. It's way bigger than what I came from. People tell me not to walk at night. So, I don't know. Lots of crazy here.

 

Please don't take this the wrong way but, if I were just moving in or had just moved in & didn't know you from Adam, I wouldn't let you carry things into my home either. LOL! I'm kinda funny when it comes to strangers. I have been taught many lessons in trust over the years. None which were good. So, I keep to myself & rarely even let people I know into my house. I'm pretty isolated most of the time even without this quarantine stuff.

 

I'm a friendly guy. I try to keep up on neighborhood comings and goings by chatting with those who live on either side of me, and across the street. I've been here for thirty-one years, so I've seen the neighbor kids grow up and have kids of their own.

As far as when I'm out and about, I will chat a stranger up, if the moment is right.

When it comes to long-term, close friends, I have buddies, male and female, whom I've known since I was six years old. I try to keep in touch with them, but many, not all, are too into their lives to bother with any meaningful correspondence. Oh well......

 

Yes, I'm very friendly. My dead-end street has 14 houses, and I am friends with all.

Lady across from me is a retired Baptist minister (my wife went to her bible study night weekly for a long time.)

Next door on left is a state trooper, with noisy dogs and children, but seems to be a nice guy (don't see much of him, since he's gone giving out tickets)

One guy above me cut up a tree for me, at no cost, when the wind blew it over. One fellow across and down from me works for the city, and he told me if I needed anything to let him know.

So, I'm very fortunate to have such nice group of people on this street. We all take care of each other.

 

We did a 3 month trip around the nation last year.
Frankly the Missus and I were amazed. My entire life I have been miffed that folks claim New Yorkers are unfriendly. I always consoled myself.believing they meant downstaters/city dwellers,and us rural upstaters were not included.
Wow,was I wrong. In NY you can go into a diner sit at the counter,and unless you know someone, you will eat is silence. We visited 26 states and as far as I can recall,we were engaged in conversation every stop we made. Be it campground restaurant diner,even sometimes when fueling up.
I still won't admit to being unfriendly. maybe a bit taciturn, but not unfriendly.

 

I'd have to say that the friendliest people I've ever encountered was the rodeo/horse/livestock family.

 

i am friendly--but you have to speak first--i am mostly over the fence talker

 

When I spent a week in NY (Hartsdale) and we went into the village and then into the city, I noticed no one spoke to one another. It's like being in a state full of people and none of you exist. LOL

 

Funny, but our next-door neighbor, when we first moved to Jacksonville, FL was very "stand-offish". He take his dog out for a short walk, but not talk to anyone. Finally, one day I was outside, when him and his dog were, and I asked him "you don't talk much do you?". He told me "when you've lived where I did in NYC, you learn quickly not to talk to anyone". After that, we'd say "hi" to each other, before he moved out.

Thing is, there are plenty of people who love living in big-major cities, including NYC, no matter how others view how unfriendly it is to live there.

 

When I use to take public transportation to and from work I would be standing or sitting at the bus stop and someone would just start talking to me and not just 'hello.' I mean a life's story. My being silent never stopped them from talking either. I knew if I shook my head in agreement understanding their situation they would continue.

So I'd say I'm friendly enough to listen to others.

 

Some people simply like to say more than "hello". I'm that way. Than there are those that are very, very curious about folks that don't talk.

 

That would drive me bonkers.....

 

Just getting a tad technical, but because of the present condition of the world via “the dreaded virus” we are asked to distance ourselves from our fellow man (or woman).

Personally, I kinda like some of the aspects of this distancing thing. If I do not wish to talk to someone, they do not cast a doubt as to how friendly I am but merely pass it off as something I am doing to protect mankind from potentially spreading this dastardly disease.

Ergo, there are definite advantages to being an introvert in the middle of an outbreak of some pandemic. No one thinks of me as being standoffish, just careful.