Meeting strangers

My wife and I have recently returned from a vacation in Europe where we stayed in Martinsthal, a village in the German Rheingau near Wiesbaden. The village’s population is approximately sixteen hundred. It is surrounded by vineyards and a church consecrated in the 13th century.

The Rheingau is one of the important wine growing regions of Germany emphasized by a village of this size having five vintners who produce the local “Wildsau” wines.

Beside the stream running thorough the village is a small park with a playground and small covered events facility. The local vintners schedule the facility in rotation each weekend spring through autumn serving the local wines, beer and food.

The village is that of my wife’s school years.

Each visit, a number of past acquaintances and friends are familiar, however each weekend invariably provides the opportunity to meet and enjoy the company of strangers.

Seating is provided on benches similar to our garden benches accommodating eight to ten people.

If a bench occupied by six people of a group and there is no other seating, it is mutually accepted that one requests or is invited to sit in the unoccupied seats.

Before and almost invariably after the first glass of wine, mutual conversation between strangers is established.

As a result, we have over the years met and conversed with many interesting visitors from as far afield as Uzbekistan, city dwellers from Frankfurt enjoying an evening in the countryside or residents from surrounding villages.

Our presence there is often a source of curiosity, as are the stories of our wanderings that resulted in our living in the Pacific Northwest. More important and valuable is the knowledge, understanding and communication established by such personal meetings, meetings the likes of which have sadly diminished in our ever more isolated world of “private” digital communication.

We have certainly experienced similar hospitality here in some of our local, less formal facilities. However, the next time all the seats at your table are not occupied, consider offering them to strangers.

At a time when identity politics is emphasizing our differences and tending to divide us, meeting strangers is a good way to enhance the togetherness that has helped form our nation.