As I boarded a crowded tram in the peak hours of Thursday evening, all I could think of is to quickly find a seat and read my emails that I was too caught up to check during the day. Luckily, I did find a seat and in about five minutes I skimmed through my emails. I had been working on a computer screen for eight hours straight and there was nothing important to do on the phone that couldn't wait until I got home so I decided to put it away. An elderly man sitting in front of me caught my attention. His eyes were searching aimlessly for something. His shoes were scuffed, he had a band-aid around his thumb and his phone seemed really old. He looked like someone who was physically strong but worked very hard for a living. Our eyes met a couple of times but he probably didn't know how to strike a conversation with a really young girl and neither did I try to start a conversation. I saw him staring at everyone in the tram using their phones, their eyes pinned so firmly to the phone that they had no idea about what's going on around them. He was probably wondering what is it that EVERYONE is doing on their phones. He took out his phone, unlocked it, checked the time, stared at it for a couple of minutes and put it back in his pocket. He was probably wondering why is this girl staring at him because I just couldn't stop. I had this urge of wanting to talk to him, know what he did for a living, where is his family, etc. I didn't do it because I couldn't. I remember how easy it used to be for me talk to random strangers but I can't anymore. It's because I don't know how to. I don't how it would be perceived or responded with. I eventually got down at my stop and walked home wondering I could have used the 20 minutes of my journey in a better way.
We are human beings made to interact with each other but we have turned into nuts and bolts of an inanimate world that merely functions together. When was the last time you expressed yourself to someone without any fear? Stereotyping, judging, trolling or ignoring seems like the most popular response to anyone who expresses their innermost feelings. Are we that incapable as species? The species that has language, superior anatomy and a far superior intellect than other species. Are we really evolving or simply distancing ourselves from each other? The loss of human interactions worries me and makes me feel alone even when I am connected with everyone I know.
I am starting a small social experiment and I need your help for it to be a success. I have decided to put my phone away in public transport, supermarkets and other places where I can have human interactions. Every human being walking on the phase of the earth is a beautiful story. I will collect stories in the city I am living in, for now, Melbourne. With the help of like-minded individuals around the world, I would like to collect and share more stories. I will publish those stories regularly on my blog with credits and we can share them with the world. I am not expecting too many stories but would it be so hard to get one story a week?
Everyone has a story. What's yours?
#whatisyourstory
