Wednesday, September 14, 2016

The Value of a Slow Social Interaction

I'm too much in a hurry at work. Do e-mail fast. Quick meeting with student. Review notes for class. Fast bathroom break. Eat fast. Drink coffee fast. There a text, here a text. Clever quips exchanged with colleagues in the hallway.

A nice interaction I had this morning went a different way. In the parking lot I ran into a colleague who I don't see very often. I usually walk and talk with colleagues when we cross paths in the parking lot. In this case, she stopped to talk. We made eye contact as we caught up. We asked about each other's families. We agreed the summer heat was unbearable. We talked a bit more and both said it was nice to see each other. It really was. Life is too busy and stressful to enjoy one sustained interaction after another, but I sure value the ones I get. I feel good about those slower interactions in a way that I don't after the split second ones.

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