Recreation: See, Avoid, Greet, Run

I went for a long run this morning and had plenty of time to encounter people and think. When out on the street as a pedestrian there is a funny thing that happens. You see another person headed towards you, still a moderate distance away. Now, you pretend like you didn't notice them, or you find the peeling siding of the houses you pass infinitely interesting. You don't want to stare, that would be rude. As you get closer, they are typically doing the same thing. Now, you have to time it just right becuase. If you do it wrong, akwardness and aprehension will follow for both parties. At the perfectly right moment, you "notice" them, smile, maybe even wave and say, 'Hi.' Then you quickly avert your eyes and move along.

It's strange how people greet each other in this manner in almost all situations. OK, sometimes you get a conversationalist. Other times you might get someone who is oblivious, rude, or inexperienced at the See-Avoid-Greet process. In most cases, though, people are the same. I just find it strange that looking at someone is rude if you look too long and rude if you don't look at all.