Everyone has friends that they have fallen apart from, as well as having friends that are nearly acquaintances. In a scenario incorporating both, who do you acknowledge?
Today I was walking with my sister and mother (as well as half the town) through the mall for the annual Black Friday shopping hype. I had run into an acquaintance who used to be a good friend and had greeted her quickly as I continued by (to be friendly, but I wished I hadn't have seen her). Not long after this encounter I had passed her again, but this time we both sort of "looked away" as if we hadn't seen each other. Why? Because girls are odd creatures, and that's about the only explanation I can give it. Less than ten seconds later I passed my old best friend who I had roughly said goodbye to about six months prior. Instead of ignoring her, I smiled back and gestured hello--to reply to her sad smile.
Why do we ignore our "friends" yet acknowledge near strangers? Have we conformed to a sort of society that cherishes the past and the future, yet cannot enjoy what is in front of us? Or does the truth lie in the fact we are curious as to how everyone else lives their lives now that we no longer hear of it all the time?
Why is it that when prompted with the question, "who do you acknowledge," we lie and say our friends? Of course you would acknowledge a friend, but what harm lies in a kind gesture to a foe or stranger? There is none, which is why we acknowledge a wide range of people throughout a day. Acquaintances for some reason, though, get the back burner and an acknowledgment only half the time.
I'm disappointed in myself for becoming the sort of person who dreads some "hello's" and openly greets others. I'll probably expand on this later, but for now it's food for thought.
