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When was the last time you had a chat with stranger? Maybe it was ranting about the tube strike or the heatwave. Slightly depressingly, transport and weather seem to be the only thing that gives us an excuse to talk to each other. But it's not just the British stiff upper lip that keeps us tongue tied – it's an international issue. To bust through the silence, the community-minded folks at Talk to Me are holding a day where they're encouraging and helping people around the world to have a natter to a stranger.
They'll be encouraging conversation through handing out 'tickets to talk', which people can exchange for a conversation with a stranger, as well as hosting workshops on how to talk to strangers, an open picnic in Victoria Embankment Gardens and a ‘Talk Bar’ outside St Martin in the Fields serving up conversation topics instead of drinks – all in the attempt to remind us about the simple pleasure of making a momentary connection with someone. So if someone tries to strike up a chat on July 18, don't dismiss them as a weirdo – give it a try.
And if you're still not convinced on the whole 'talk to strangers' thing, let us point you in the direction of Amy Dicketts' Commute blog. While the rest of us are doing our damned hardest not to have even a hint of eye contact with anyone on the tube, Amy spends her days asking people to tell them a surprising fact about themselves. One person she met was carrying her dog, Dolce (pictured above), who it turns out has nearly 2,000 followers on Facebook. Come on guys, you could be out there meeting famous dogs!
Find out more about Talk To Me Day
Image: Amy Dicketts