Since the smile was most likely a moment of spontaneity, my expectations were shaken and I was not sure how to react, despite the nice surprise a stolen second of kindness caused. The big question I had to ask myself, though, was: Why is kindness and warmth so unexpected in public places? Have we been so desensitized to human contact beyond our own associations that strangers have become just beyond our reach? Does unsolicited optimism scare us?
