Will there be any strangers left in this connected world? Who doesn’t want to be friendly, familiar, and famous among the people? But, can I choose to remain an introvert and a stranger everywhere. I’m kind of a person who runs away if I find someone heading towards me, and I foresee that there will be a long conversation, just like the timid squirrel who visits my balcony occasionally. He freezes and hides behind the flower pots until he feels comfortable moving around. I would rather text the person back, and I do not mind text-talking endlessly. These days, the mask is BLESSING and will DISGUISE. I can be a faceless stranger, and I secretly wish the masks do not run out of fashion.
A taxi driver and the petrol bunk attendant looted me in broad daylight. I’m ashamed to say that they cheated me out of my negligence. I always tried to be friendly with people I met by asking their whereabouts and if they earned better than a software engineer. But after the two incidents, I have chosen to be reserved and be a stranger throughout our meeting. If the situation demands a conversation, I raise my voice and respond in a rage, so the conversation ends in a few sentences. I don’t mind if they know me as an impolite and unsocial idiot. I want to remain a stranger to them.
I lack the skill of not understanding a hidden meaning, and I cannot deduce something more than what is spoken. I can only understand what it plainly conveys. I rarely catch a deceptive dialogue. So, I become an easy outlier in many of the conversations. I have great difficulties gathering words to explain myself in many situations. If I cannot tell why I’m angry at something, I just pause and walk away with a hothead.
Nowadays, with everyone bent over their mobile phones, I can walk past without being noticed. My “Digital Wellbeing” meter on the mobile indicates a low average usage per week compared to my earlier days. I’m tending towards being a “Digital Stranger,” too.
A random school-going kid asked me if I had an Instagram and a youtube channel when I was out on my weekend photo shoot. I was puzzled and gave up my secret that I didn’t. I couldn’t prove my worth holding the camera, and I was a disgrace to the hobby. He had almost believed that I had significant fan followings. After my answer, he had nothing to ask me. Taking that as an advantage, I asked him several questions. He disclosed the number of followers he had for his channel, his idols, and the hard bargain he did for the portable speaker. Was I trying to be friendly?
Whenever I have a chance to talk to a new joiner regarding their resume, I first check the “Interests/Hobbies” section. I try to find out if someone has an unusual hobby. If traveling is on the list, I make sure to ask which places they have visited and cross-check against the list of my visited places. They will no longer be a stranger if our list overlaps at least with one location. I would someday wish to listen endlessly to someone who has climbed Everest, talk to someone who has traveled boundless, discuss with someone who has read unlimited books.
Do I know myself? I wish I do not remain a stranger to myself.
