Are you an Irish person living in another country? Did a fellow-passenger say hello and smile when you sat beside them on the bus this morning? Did the barista brewing your coffee ask about your weekend? Or does everyone stick to their lanes – staring at their phones or keeping interactions to a minimum? What do you prefer?
We’d like to hear about small social interactions where you live – how do they differ or how are they the same as in Ireland?
It comes on foot of a strong reaction to a piece by Rosanna Cooney this month about her efforts to speak to strangers in Ireland, which European Commission research found was the loneliest country in Europe.
“I made a point of saying hello to everyone that passed by me in my building. I started to strike up conversations while queuing for coffee, for buses, for gigs,” she says. She notes “psychologists have found that even minimal social interactions… bring feelings of happiness and a greater sense of belonging than when we cocoon ourselves from the world around us.”
RM Block
Do strangers strike up conversations on trains and airplanes where you are? Does the cashier at your local supermarket catch your eye and chat about the weather? Do hikers chat as they pass on a rural road? Do parents gossip at the school gate or dog-owners exchange training tips in the park? Do colleagues have lunch and coffee together or does work stay at the strictly professional level? Perhaps the silence, privacy and anonymity is something you like?
Is it possible to scratch below the surface when you are an emigrant? How does the experience of small social interactions differ when you are an emigrant? Do you find yourself drawn towards chatting to Irish people or other emigrants? Is loneliness an issue when you are an emigrant?
Let us know your thoughts using the form below. Tell us about an interaction you’ve had with a stranger recently. Tell us if you are a recent emigrant or have been abroad for many years.
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You can let us know what you think using the form below. Please limit your submissions to 400 words or less. Please include a phone number for verification purposes only, we will respect time zones. If you would prefer to remain anonymous, please indicate this in your submission – we will keep your name and contact details confidential.
We will curate a selection of submissions for an article but please note we may not publish every submission we receive.
- Are you Irish and living in another country? Would you like to share your experience with Irish Times Abroad, something interesting about your life or your perspective as an emigrant? You can use the form, or email abroad@irishtimes.com with a little information about you and what you do. Thank you
- Sign up to The Irish Times Abroad newsletter for Irish-connected people around the world. Here you’ll find readers’ stories of their lives overseas, plus news, business, sports, opinion, culture and lifestyle journalism relevant to Irish people around the world.
