Don’t talk to strangers…

We are all told from a young age not to talk to and in most cases to stay away from strangers. I understand that this is a necessary rule for children, due to their vulnerability and seemingly gullibility, but I believe there needs to be some kind of age limit set on this childhood regulation. Say, once a person hits, I don’t know 18, the stranger rule is null and void. Living on my own for the past 4 years, I have learned that some of the greatest people I come in contact with are in fact complete strangers at first. Thankfully, I have a strong aptitude for judging who I should and shouldn’t chat with, but I find that many people my age are uneasy about talking to any stranger whatsoever.


This thought came to mind when my roommate and I were discussing our genuine ability to make friends with anyone. Yeah yeah, I know it sounds cliché, “friends with everyone,” but it is true! Without fail each and every time we venture out for a day or night on the town, we wind up making friends with some unsuspecting bartender, waitress, house siding salesman, business owner, possible rap artists etc. Just Last Thursday while dinning at Sunda Sushi downtown, we were introduced to Billy Dec, the owner and manager of not only Sunda, but various other bars and eateries around Chicago. That same night we had the honor of meeting Chicago’s ex-cornerback Jerry Azumah along with an older man who looked remarkably similar to Sting. (Which is a great story in and of itself). This is just one example, but this type of occurrence happens each weekend. It is as if we are magnets for interesting sometimes well-known people. With that said, we also know the entire staff and management of Moe’s Cantina, John Barleycorn Wrigleyville, River Shannon’s Pub, and 6 Degrees Bar in Bucktown. Meaning, this “friends with everyone” theory could be in part due to our slight alcohol intake issue. I’ll let you decide for yourself…