Is Saying "Hi" Obsolete?

(Before we start, take a moment to appreciate my overly dramatic title.)

Society amazes me in pleasant and terrible ways.

The past couple of weeks have had me thinking about the social interactions of strangers, or lack thereof, in today's world. 

I live in an awkwardly sized town. It's definitely not large, but its not quite small enough to be one of those "Everybody knows everybody" places, either. Even here, strangers pass one another on the sidewalk without acknowledgment. Even here, there is a "Mind your business and I'll mind mine" mentality. 

And it seems to intensify in larger cities. 

Part of me understands. Sometimes one just wants to be alone with their thoughts. I can also understand shyness and feeling awkward saying "Good morning" to a stranger. 

But another part of me wonders how two people can share an elevator without recognizing each other's presence or why social cues have transformed into it being okay for people to walk passed each other in an otherwise empty place pretending the other doesn't exist. 

I just don't get it. 

A couple years ago, I was that person that would never say hi to anyone on sidewalks. I embodied the "Mind your own business" New Yorker mentality.

That changed after taking a walk with my brother. He said hi to everybody. The grumpy guy walking towards us and the old lady kneeling in her garden. When eye contact was made, a hello was said.

And I thought that was pretty cool. It is a simple way of saying "I'm a human and you're a human. I see you and I wish you a good day." without all the words.

It is strange to me how a dog will acknowledge another dog with a bark when owner's pass each other in a park, yet the owner's will refrain from speaking. 

Furthermore, it is incredible what you can learn and who you can meet with an open heart and a friendly mouth. My sister has an internship this summer that requires her to speak to strangers every day. She has already shared a plethora of stories about intriguing people. She has made friends, received multiple small gifts, and learned much just by being an interested person. 

In conclusion, let's try to be the type of people that are interested in others' well being. It may feel awkward saying "Hi" to a stranger, especially if you usually don't, but eventually you will find that people are very receptive to kindness. They will be appreciative and will give you one million dollars.