Familiar Strangers: The People We See Every Day but Don’t Necessarily Know
Life is just a journey …… we end up being left to ourselves…… it’s the last familiar stranger that we can hold onto.
We all have people in our lives who we see and interact with regularly, but with whom we may not have a deep, personal connection. These familiar strangers can be found in many places. Coworkers, neighbors, or even family members. While we may spend a significant amount of time with these individuals, we may still feel that we don’t really know them, or that there is a distance between us.
The hedgehog’s philosophy can be a helpful way to think about familiar strangers. Just like hedgehogs, who grow sharp spikes on their backs to drive off predators and try to get close to stay warm, we often find ourselves seeking connection with others while also trying to protect ourselves from being hurt. When we get too close to a familiar stranger, we might feel poked by the spikes of discomfort or unease, and so we jump back and set ourselves apart. But as we repeat this process of moving back and forth, we may eventually find the distance that allows for the most warmth and connection possible without hurting each other.
