This assignment was a little strange for me because, at this point, I’ve mastered the art of minding my own business. During this assignment though, I was forced to do the literal, exact opposite. Yes, occasionally I eavesdrop on a few conversations here and there but, usually, I don’t examine those people for an allotted period and write 400 words about whether they made eye contact or not.

When I sat down at the dining hall, it was almost overwhelming how many people werethere. Some people sat alone, looking at their phones or their underwhelming plates of chicken wings. Others sat with small to large groups of friends, smiling and giggling and filling the hall with commotion. However, the two girls who sat in front of me happened to pique my interest the most. They were having a conversation, just like almost everyone else, but theirs felt different somehow.

It may have appeared just like any other Wednesday night conversation, but it was special. As humans, we all desire a certain level of personal connection, we want to feel important and heard. At the same time, we all have that one, or maybe even many, friends who have no real interactions with you while you talk to them. The friend who pulls out their phone the second you open your mouth and only glances at you if you’re lucky and the only thing they have to add to the conversation are mumbled words that go something like: “Mhm”, “yeah”, and the classic “damn, that’s crazy”.

 These two girls on the other hand were in sync; they listened to each other intently,providing validation to one another through intense stares and gaping mouths. Active engagement with loved ones seems to become scarce as time moves forward. So, in a world that seems to be so full of distractions, it was refreshing to see people focus on each other for a change.