To continue our conversation on different relationships, we're going to talk about what a stranger REALLY is.
Let me guess- when you were growing up you were taught things like, “NEVER talk to strangers”, “strangers might kidnap you”, “never get in a stranger's car”. Does that sound familiar? As we grow older though, many of us realize that if followed that advice we would never leave our house, and we would never meet anyone! Think about it- if we NEVER talked to strangers, how could you meet someone? You wouldn't.
Instead, let's get to the heart of this. What our parents were trying to do was keep us safe. We want you to be safe too, but we also want you to be able to enjoy life and meet people. So how can you do this? Change the way you look at strangers. With soooooooo many people in this world, there are bound to be a few bad apples in the barrel. For the most part though, most people ar
e GOOD people, just like you and me. What we have to learn as adults though is how to get around this world with all of it's people as safely as possible, while not being afraid to live life.
A stranger, in fact, is NOT only someone walking down the street that you've never met- a stranger can also be someone you have JUST met, and know very little about. We don't have to be afraid of strangers, but we should be cautious and careful. We should never share personal or private information with a stranger, such as our phone number, how much money we have, or where we live, unless it is their job to know. But is it OK to chit-chat about the weather? Sure! Say you're riding the bus and you see a lightning storm. Can you talk about what's going on outside? Of course!
By knowing what a stranger REALLY is, and by understanding how to protect our privacy through boundaries, we can be safe with anyone.
