The importance of communication

While waiting for the bus today a neighbor walking by smiled, waived and talked to my children. For whatever reason Jonah answered her questions but Noah remained squatting and mentioned that there was a car behind her. She was already aware of this of course. I mentioned to him that not only was it rude not to talk to her, even though she was a "stranger" but how it was very impo grant to make small talk, smile not and make friends with those around you. 

I was the worst at this, and only learned to smile and say Hi when I went to Prep school. Partly because the way Boston was..  Although smiling and creating  small talk would have protected me, while simultaneously being guarded too of course, the approach of the teenage male tends to be more along the lines of, " don't bother me and I won't bother you."

I have found this approach to be flawed of course and regret that nobody was able to explain it to me as a man in my boyhood.