At my age, I’m still learning. I see people everywhere who have no one to get together with. Sometimes they go where there are people, just to be around them, maybe to be noticed, spoken to, acknowledged.

I speak to them. “Hello.” “Nice day.”

Usually they answer back, “Hello.” “Yes, it is.”

Even those who seem to want to keep to themselves, don’t want to break their silence with “Go away, don’t bother me, leave me alone,” often give in, break their own barriers, start talking because they need to, starving for human contact, almost dying for it.

I taught for so many years, had students who never had a friend. We’d talk, become friends, and they learned how to talk to other friends.

Even in the darkest times, there’s always something to say.

We should talk to each other.

I’ll start.

“Hello.”