33,000 Zombies

                             
I am huge on acknowledgement. Simply acknowledging my existence goes a LONG way for me. If that carries so much weight, imagine how much a friendly smile or a few words means to me. So guess what I've noticed lately? I go to a school with around 33 thousand other students and hardly anyone acknowledges each other on campus unless they have had maybe three conversations in the past, probably off of campus. How can I be surrounded by people all day long and maybe carry an actual conversation with only a few. ("Few" as in I can count them on one hand.) Why is it so lonely somewhere where there are people everywhere? I don't like this at all. Not one bit. Even my sixty/ seventy some year old New Testament professor noticed this and gave a DEVOTIONAL address on it! How sad!

To further prove the point, a guy (the first stranger I've ever seen do this on campus) walked past me on campus the other day and, with a big smile, said "Good morning!" I was so caught off guard and confused why some stranger would say that so happily to me, that I couldn't stop thinking about it. Then I remembered the welcoming people I served around in small town Montana and Wyoming on my mission. Waving to strangers driving by and talking to everyone on the streets was the norm (and not just for missionaries). Why can't that be the case everywhere?

I have thought about how this has come to be. I think it's a combination of our excessive use of technology, our fear of awkward situations, and the lack of desire to spend time to get to know people. Its too much commitment. It's too much effort. What if you forget their name two minutes after you meet them? What if? What if? What if? There are so many things we overthink. So much so that some people look DOWN (or anywhere but the eye) when passing people as they walk by. People sit next to each other in class and speak no words to each other. We are just existing around each other. We are zombies. 

I want to change this though. I might not change the whole student population but I can change myself and hopefully the people around me. I want to be like that guy and spread sunshine where I go. I want to be the friendly face that people can count on for a smile. We are all children of God and have some connection one way or another- so why not at least smile and acknowledge each other? So my goal and experiment currently is to look people in the eye and smile at them as I walk by and see who smiles back. So far, its only a small number that reciprocates the act but the more I do it, the more natural it feels and the better people are responding. 

I have TONS more to say on the subject, but I'll save that for another post with an update. :)


Side note: This is a BYU devotional my New Testament professor, Keith Wilson, gave that made me really start thinking about this topic. It is SO good and about how we each are important. Give it a watch!