Marcos. I’ve finally figured out why strangers get into conversations of familiarity with other strangers.
Evgenia. What do you mean?
Marcos. You know how you’re at an airport or a park and the person next to you just gets into a conversation with you?
Evgenia. Yeah, it puts me off guard, but don’t they talk out of sheer loneliness?
Marcos. Yes, but more to the point is that they don’t have to show their faults or sadness to a complete stranger. I mean, usually a stranger’s going to be happy, maybe even too happy.
Evgenia. I’ve talked to strangers who’ve told me about their wives leaving them. They didn’t seem too happy.
Marcos. That’s when they have put an unusual amount of trust in a stranger, and in that case, they have something specific to talk about. I’m talking about those people who just come up and sit next to you then talk about whatever random thing appears in their minds. Now these people might have a husband, or a wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, mother, father, whatever; someone they’re close to, but that husband or wife or whoever knows the negative side of the stranger who will come up to me and just talk to me.
Evgenia. What are you saying? Do you mean that strangers approach other strangers simply to be in a conversation with someone does not know their bad qualities?
Marcos. It’s a relationship at an extremely safe and surface level. Take our relationship for example. When we first met each other, we didn’t know our faults as people, the initial time we’ve spent with each other were great because our faults were not apparent, but after time you come to know my faults and I come to know your faults, but it’s only because we’ve learned to trust one another.
Evgenia. Then these strangers have a difficult time trusting people?
Marcos. It more like they rather be seen in a good light than trust in people.
Evgenia. It’s much easier, I suppose, but if I were to talk to stranger after stranger, I’d think I would become numb to the individual. I would treat everyone in the same generic way.
Marcos. Kind of like how restaurants treat their customers.
Evgenia. But I know waitresses to personalize their treatment with regular customers.
Marcos. Those are the best restaurants.
Evgenia. I know one where they know me. Are you hungry? Want to go?
Marcos. Please.
End. Conversations of Familiarity