Unless to say hi to the visibly harried man at the subway and offer to help as he’s trying to balance two boxes of elaborately decorated cupcakes, which leads on to a delightful conversation about catching moonbows before daybreak.

Or unless to smile and wave to the elderly aunties you see often at the neighborhood coffee shop where they spend their mornings playing mahjong; and after twelve days when they invite you to join them, you find a spring in your step, feeling like you belong.

Unless to chance upon him, one midsummer afternoon, lazing by the pool with a margarita smile. When he says hello in the form of a question, you greet him in reply with the hope that he’s not boring, and from there, the stories keep soaring.

Unless you’re looking to distract yourself
from pain at the dentist's, so you politely ask about their day, and tell them about yours. One thing leads to another, and you realize it’s much easier to trust a stranger than your own kind and tell them everything that's been on your mind.