Saying hello in winter

Today was the first major snowfall of the winter here in Toronto, and I walked my half-hour to the office early to catch up on work.

Over the years, I’ve observed that the first snowfall day allows normally reserved Torontonians to actually 'open up a little' and smile at strangers as they trudge past. I guess it’s an acknowledgment of our shared battle against the elements.

However, there seems to be some unwritten rules at play. If you encounter someone one-on-one, you normally say hello (or at least smile), but if you encounter a cluster of people, you are less likely to greet them.

The arrival of iPods has allowed people to further detach themselves from their social surroundings (but not yet their physical environment) and ignore such interpersonal contact.

For me, I try to still say hello, even with the earbuds in. But who knows, maybe I’m shouting when I do so...?