Winner
Sophene Avedissian, from Los Angeles, chose an article from the Opinion section headlined “Why Strangers Are Good for Us” and wrote:
I distinctly remember looking at my mom in awe as she casually chatted with the grocery store cashier. When most would answer with a few dismissive words, she seamlessly instigated an entire conversation from the cashier’s simple question of “How’s your day?” As we made our way out of the store, I turned back and noticed the corners of the cashier’s lips rise into a grin. I wondered, How can my mom so effortlessly impact someone’s day from one small, yet meaningful interaction?
As my mother seeks out these moments to connect, I avoid them. In elementary school, I hid behind my mom at gatherings as she spoke to others. In middle school, I often replied “no” to invitations to avoid the awkwardness of meeting new people. Now, in high school, I hope that by wearing my pair of rose-gold headphones, others feel discouraged to talk to me.
In “Why Strangers Are Good for Us,” David Sax identifies that engaging with strangers “connect[s] us to the community, teach[es] us empathy, build[s] civility and [is] full of surprise and potentially wonder.” Sax explains when we disregard strangers, we weaken what is at the “core of our social contract.” The technological evolution combined with the pandemic has forced “our world [to grow even more] inward and suspicions.”
I take a deep breath, slip off my headphones, and start talking to the person next to me as we both wait for our takeout order.
It’s a start.