I'm not a particularly

chatty person.  Nor do I look to strike up conversations with others along my way.  But, there are many people who strike up conversations with others and make friends everywhere they go. Whatever the reason, whether it be that they are very interested in other people or that they have a need to share their thoughts, I realize that I need to be more approachable and open to that.  

I'm thinking of this because of an experience I had yesterday.  Gary had his yearly dermatology appointment for his psoriasis, so I went along and had him drop me off at a fabric store on the way.  The appointment went longer than he thought, so when he picked me up he asked me what I had done the whole time.  I told him of an interesting conversation I had been a part of.  (By the way, I can happily spend a long time in a fabric store, but after awhile I just sat down to look at patterns)

A woman across from me immediately commented on my necklace, and we talked about jewelry and shops we liked. Then I asked her if she sewed a lot and I learned how she makes pajamas and skirts for her grandchildren and she shared a great tip about what she does to keep the elastic from rolling (I didn't really catch exactly what the tip was, though)

Another lady was nearby and approached us and inquired as to how she should mend a little hole in a dress.  We discussed different ways, and in the conversation she disclosed to us that, because a son had died, she had put on a lot of weight and now just wore tent-like dresses like the one she was wearing.  She said she hadn't done much sewing.  She had taken sewing in Jr High, but someone had made fun of a skirt she had made, so she had never sewed again. We sympathized with her, and she also shared that she was in and out of foster homes and had not had a lot of support growing up.

The conversation ended with her having some simple ideas of how she could mend the hole and hopefully with the feeling that she was cared for and listened to.  It was kind of startling that she would share so much about herself to total strangers.  I have a hard time sharing too much of myself, even with those I am close to.  That is really not an admirable thing and is in fact a pride issue for me.    

This conversation along with the fact that I am reading "The Walk" series books, has had me thinking a lot about the influence we can have on those around us.  Of how we may never know when a seemingly insignificant word or act on our part can influence someone else in either positive or negative ways.