MAKING NEW AQUAINTENCES
I sat on a train opposite a stranger for 2 hours today. Usually, I'd put my headphones on and keep my head down, but I made a decision to be civil, friendly and see what would happen.
When we go out of our way to avoid speaking with travel strangers, we could be missing out on some potential benefits. My chance encounter today rewarded me with an intellectual conversation with a very interesting scientist from New York. This man, who'd chosen to sit in 2nd class, was dressed in very ordinary clothes and seemed pretty down to earth on first impressions. The difference in demeanour to my other travel stranger was that he seemed more inclined to chat than the headphone wearing, sultry-faced girl was - and I'm glad we both made the effort.
He'd worked for major companies like Coke, Nike and a number of massive manufacturing conglomerates. As a technologies director, his understanding of polymers, 3D printing and future advancements in mobile communications, energy systems and connectivity, means he works at the highest level in industry. These companies all need marketing and advertising specialists and now, through this connection made today, I intend to make the most off our brief friendship to further investigate these companies and potentially benefit from finding a new career avenue.
Who knows what the person sitting opposite you on a train can teach you. By being civil and friendly, a chance encounter can at the least make your journey more pleasant and could lead to something great. So why not make a little effort instead of donning those ear cans...
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