Danger, danger, don't talk to strangers...

I was reading Miss Canary's blog and she was writing about being in a new town and how wonderful it is to meet new people. In this country we are so paranoid about trusting strangers. As a child I was taught the American mantra :"Danger, danger , don't talk to strangers" but that is just a great injustice to our spirit, Yes, there are BAD people OUT there! And some wicked , sick,evil people out there wishing to cause us harm but most victims of violent crimes know the person who commits the crime to them. And some mass murderers get away with their crimes because they count on strangers not coming to the aid of other strangers. So we American's keep up this emotional fence of defense around them but I believe that most people are really kind. I love to travel because it gets me out of my comfort zone and makes me go out and communicate to strangers. If you are careful and keep your awareness of your surrounding you can avoid being a victim of crime and most people just want your money. If if comes down to it SHOW them the money and run like hell. It's just money, let them have it! Still in the everyday world most people aren't out to harm you. I notice that now people are hiding behind their BlackBerry or I phone, chatting to strangers they'll never meet (sharing more details than they share with their co-workers who see them everyday!) So instead of sitting in a Starbucks or even a Sport's Bar and sharing a simple thought with a stranger we choose to remain ALONE! Put down the damn phone, look up from your laptop and connect with the human being next to you. While at the WorldCon I smiled at a woman wearing a Worldcon badge and I asked her what she did for a living. She was a writer and invited me to join her group at the bar. That evening I met a group of wonderful, fun people , (one who I still write to on Facebook , the amazingly, talented Virginia O"Dine) we dined then went out and explored the night-life in Montreal. Now, if I wasn't the type to talk to strangers or had my head buried in my BlackBerry I would had spend a lonely evening in my hotel room instead of having a good time in a super town with super people! So Talk to strangers!