Sept. 12, 2012

Yesterday, my classmate Michelle struck up a conversation with me. She asked how my internship was going since she knew that I was worried about not getting an internship this semester. I told her about my internship working and we ended up sitting together at lunch and sharing details about our lives. She told me about her Jewish friends, her liberal parents, her sisters, and how she loved living here.

The striking thing about the interaction was how friendly Michelle acted towards me even though she hardly knew me and we had never spoken before. That prompted me to be friendly, too, so this morning, I approached a classmate before class and struck up a conversation with her. We were locked out of the building that morning and the students had huddled around the door. My classmate was standing apart from everyone else. She seemed to be reading something and I originally thought that it was a magazine, but it turned out to be our class textbook.I came up and asked if she was Lorraine.

“No, I’m Susanna,” she said in a friendly way. “You know, like the song. ‘Oh Susanna,Don’t you cry for me…’" (When I thought about the lyrics in my head, I realized that it was a very strange song...). Well, we continued our conversation until class started and after class, Susanna wanted to eat lunch with me. After lunch, I left to go do homework, but I said that I would return and  meet her before our next class started. 

Homework took too long and when I returned, she was already gone. I assumed she must have gone to class ahead of me, but I did spot another classmate, Susan, nearby. For a while, I hung there in limbo, deciding whether or not I should go up and talk to her. Remembering Michelle’s willingness to reach out to me, (and my success in striking up a conversation with Susanna), I decided to go for it.

“Are you going to class soon?” I asked, approaching her.

“Yes. I’m about to go get some coffee before class.”

“Mind if I go with you to get coffee?” (Note to readers: I don’t drink coffee.)

“Sure,” she said, packing up her stuff and slinging her bag over one shoulder. I asked her if she had read the articles we were assigned for class. (I was unsure whether or not I was supposed to read them so I thought I would ask.) Here she looked around covertly and whispered in a conspiratorial tone,

“I haven’t finished the reading for that class yet.”

“I know. We have a LOT of reading.”

“Yes. I thought it was going to be like undergraduate, but, whew! No.”

“Didn’t you have to read a lot for cultural anthropology?” I asked.

“Yes, but never this much.”

As Susan got coffee, I asked her if she had gotten enough sleep.

“Oh yeah, I get enough sleep.”

“Then why the coffee?” I questioned, curious.

“It seems like I’m more addicted to it now than anything.”

“Oh,” I replied.

“Yeah, I have to be careful though. It gives me jitters. This will be my last coffee for the day. Hopefully.”

“Yeah, that’s why I had to give up coffee. It gave me the jitters.” (Note to readers: That statement is true.)

We split up into our separate seats when we got to class, but I was proud of myself for approaching and talking to yet another classmate. At first, I was aversive to doing this, not because I was shy, but because I didn’t want to start up any friendships if I was moving away right after I obtained my degree. Then

Michelle’s outreach changed me and I thought, Why not just talk to people and become acquainted? Be friendly? We could end up being a big help to each other later on. Besides, it’s also fun to talk to someone who has similar interests and reasons for being here.

From then on, I resolved to be friendly and to get acquainted with people, even if it was only a one-time thing. Even if we never saw or spoke to each other ever again. Even if it’s just a brief contact and we would remain two strangers passing in the fabric of our lifetimes.