I treasure sharing a fleeting moment in time with a stranger. A shared joke on the train, a warm smile, asking someone a question, offering a compliment or a simple exchange of words. I bow as leave a person or salute them. (Withdrawing from a phlebotomist recently, I bowed farewell. He was an Indian chap and became very excited. Apparently, I’d bestowed great respect upon him. That was a lovely moment. I didn’t have the heart to tell him I have the habit of bowing to everyone.) I’m definitely an introvert but find human interaction and contact, with fellow citizens of the planet, an absolute pleasure. Rarely do I feel close to any one person but seem to prefer a general friendliness with everyone.
It’s probably for all of the above reasons that I love the blog, Humans of New York (you can follow it on instagram too). HONY is a photographer who goes out each day amidst the hubbub of New York and takes photographs of the people in the Big Apple. What pulls you in though, is the comments made by these people in response to a question the photographer, Brandon, has thrown at them. Many of the comments are so poignant. A pithy statement that can really pack a punch.
I think it’s actually the sadness of some the comments that I’m drawn to. Just like my own wee encounters with unknown folk, it makes me feel less desolate in my own heart. The blog shows old folk to be anything but invisible, young people to be wise, grieving or depressed souls to be beautiful and the frail, strong.
Ah human contact. It’s the stuff that makes us feel Hope. Every city ought to have a Brandon. Or maybe, they already do?
http://www.humansofnewyork.com/
Written for http://www.moodscope.com
