A Random NYC Conversation that Questioned Hatred
2-Minute Take
I stood near the fountain at Washington Square Park, catching up with a friend of mine who is a tarot reader there. As often happens, a small group of people came up to him, and we paused our conversation.
One person came forward and asked a few questions about what was being offered. I am terrible at guessing ages, but I will guess he was in his early twenties. Mostly I remember his big engaging smile and his dancing eyes.
He thanked my friend for the information and said they had actually stopped to ask for directions to the Empire State Building. I pointed through the arch and said, “It’s straight up Fifth Avenue.”
We chatted a bit longer and learned they were visiting from Greece – a delightful revelation that took some coaxing for him to share. His smile broadened as he said he wanted to ask us a question. To my great surprise, his question was,
“What country do you hate most in the world?”
I responded before I could even think about it and asked, “Do we need to hate other countries?”
His eyes stopped dancing, his smile waned, he looked crestfallen. I felt his discomfort and regretted being the cause of it. Then an elder of the group, perhaps the father of our new acquaintance, stepped forward and said with a what-can-you-do shrug, “He’s a teenager.”
And off they walked, heading east. I called out that the Empire State Building was north and pointed through the arch. The group’s new spokesperson responded that they were going to SoHo first, and asked if they were headed in the right direction. I answered that they were not - SoHo was south of us.
And off they went, still heading East.
The question “Dancing Eyes” asked stays with me. If you ask about hate, you might be able to compile examples of hatred. And then what? Share hate together?! I feel my heart tighten just thinking about that.
Most questions I ask skew to the positive.
If we had spoken with this group a bit longer, I’d love to know what they have liked best about their visit so far, what other parts of the state and the country they are exploring, what countries have been their favorite to visit. Each one opens a conversation we can build on.
Not all questions are created equal.
Thank you for restacking, @rena - I so appreciate that you shared it!
What an odd question. And the fact that they departed heading in the wrong direction (twice) makes this brief encounter feel like a vignette from The Little Prince.
How sad that the question he asked was focused on hate. As you pointed out, there are SO many alternatives!
I’m sure the moment was awkward, but I’m glad you questioned his question. I hope the encounter sticks with him as well. You never know. 💜