A sense of fellowship

It's no longer snowing, thank goodness, but it is still cold and wet out. So it's no surprise that when I took our dog for a walk just now that I only saw a few fellow pedestrians out and about.

It occurred to me, as I greeted complete strangers in the street, how different this was from where I used to live. There, you might get a mumbled greeting, delivered grudgingly as if you had both made the mistake of making eye contact and this was the only decent way out of that embarrassing gaffe.

Here, it would be considered rude to not make eye contact and exchange greetings. This makes me feel good. It makes me feel like a part of the community around me, rather than an unwelcome intruder in my own neighbourhood.