I was ready to pass on responding to this post, but it just kept nagging in the back of my mind until I had to put my 2 cents worth in.
I was born & raised in a kinder, gentler time of life; a time when you nodded & smiled as you passed strangers on the street or in the market, when people thanked you for stopping by and meant it, and where the generic, plastic “Have a nice day” wasn’t so commonplace. And, yes, I did grow up in a big city, not some small town, so this wasn’t just a “small town mentality” phenomenom. So, I think to myself, what’s the big deal if someone makes a small comment or strikes up a conversation based on the perception that we share a common interest?
Are you really so important, and your time so precious & valuable, that you can’t take a few seconds to be polite? To pass a little kindness on to someone who might, for all you know, desperately need a little kindness? Think how much better you’ll feel about yourself when you realize that your tiny bit of attention might be all that a lost soul needed to be validated, to feel worthy, or to be recognized as a human being? Too frequently, we hear about someone who committed suicide because they felt that nobody cared if they lived or died, or that they just weren’t worthy of existence - what if just a simple “mmm-hmmm” to a comment they made was all it took to save their life?
I find it difficult to be “friends” with someone who feels they’re so much more important and above the other bi-peds they share the comic store with. These are the people to shun, not those who are simply being friendly/kind, or making small talk. Get over yourself - you ain’t that great to begin with.