I've always found it weird how people live in the same apartment building for years but never interact with their neighbors. It depresses me that this is the kind of society I live in.
Then again, it's not like I'm very good at reaching out and creating bonds. I moved into my first apartment a few months ago and had the idea of printing out a few flyers and stick inside the door of every apartment on my floor. It would say something like "Come meet your new neighbor". But I didn't do it because I've been too scared of people rejecting the idea and/or thinking I'm silly.
So anyway, the elderly man that lives right next to me is someone I've been thinking about talking to for a long time. His face is droopy and he always has a non-friendly look on his face. I've been trying to make eye contact to create some kind of neighbor connection, but he never looks back at me. I kinda decided he must be bitter and not wanting to meet new people. When I see him he is always alone and he looks lonely. I got him a thing of chocolates for Christmas but I didn't see him around and I was too scared to knock on his door to give it to him.
Here's the kicker: like 15 mins ago, I was coming from outside and he was inside the building and about to get in the elevator. I was sure he wouldn't look back and wait for me before he walked into it. But he did! I said thank you and when I got out of the elevator I had an idea. I stepped inside my apartment and grabbed a bag of Swedish chocolates that my mom sent me, and walked back out in the hall to catch him before he walked inside his apartment. I said "Excuse me, do you like chocolate?" and his whole face completely changed to a really friendly and happy one. "Who doesn't?", he said and continued to thank me.
And that's the whole story. It meant a lot to me and I hope it meant something to him as well.
I guess I'm asking for opinions on this. How do you start talking to someone just out of the blue? Should I have not cared about his grumpiness and knocked on his door earlier? What do you do when you notice a stranger being lonely?
I struggle with how I never seem to live up to what I want mysef (or anyone else) to be. I want to do a million things but I hold back out of fear.
Then again, it's not like I'm very good at reaching out and creating bonds. I moved into my first apartment a few months ago and had the idea of printing out a few flyers and stick inside the door of every apartment on my floor. It would say something like "Come meet your new neighbor". But I didn't do it because I've been too scared of people rejecting the idea and/or thinking I'm silly.
So anyway, the elderly man that lives right next to me is someone I've been thinking about talking to for a long time. His face is droopy and he always has a non-friendly look on his face. I've been trying to make eye contact to create some kind of neighbor connection, but he never looks back at me. I kinda decided he must be bitter and not wanting to meet new people. When I see him he is always alone and he looks lonely. I got him a thing of chocolates for Christmas but I didn't see him around and I was too scared to knock on his door to give it to him.
Here's the kicker: like 15 mins ago, I was coming from outside and he was inside the building and about to get in the elevator. I was sure he wouldn't look back and wait for me before he walked into it. But he did! I said thank you and when I got out of the elevator I had an idea. I stepped inside my apartment and grabbed a bag of Swedish chocolates that my mom sent me, and walked back out in the hall to catch him before he walked inside his apartment. I said "Excuse me, do you like chocolate?" and his whole face completely changed to a really friendly and happy one. "Who doesn't?", he said and continued to thank me.
And that's the whole story. It meant a lot to me and I hope it meant something to him as well.
I guess I'm asking for opinions on this. How do you start talking to someone just out of the blue? Should I have not cared about his grumpiness and knocked on his door earlier? What do you do when you notice a stranger being lonely?
I struggle with how I never seem to live up to what I want mysef (or anyone else) to be. I want to do a million things but I hold back out of fear.