DISCLAIMER: This is not an excuse to become a stalker.
A friend of mine popped by after closure with her ex when I was already laying in bed. As I I adore this friend and was only guiltily watching
Californication online anyway, this pop-in was more than welcome. The pop-in is an unannounced visit perfect for impromptu tea parties or catalyzing thrift store shopping. I lament the fact that the art of yesterday's pop-in is a dying social nicety. I find that if I want to see someone the fact that the mood is striking is no longer the impetus for a visit. Oftentimes one has to call, text, or email, set a date, and meet between the feign of a busy work schedule and the banality of the day-to-day. This is not to say that the planned rendez-vous isn't fulfilling yet it does lack the joie de vivre that is the pop-in. In a pop-in filled world you would always break bread with a spontaneous joiner or find a "just stopped by to say hi" note pinned to your door. It kind of reminds me of an anecdote from the time my parents visited my brother in Zambia. The code of conduct in Zambia is that if someone sees you eating, you have to offer the bystander to join you in your meal. This isn't an optional gesture, no it is an unwritten rule in Zambian social etiquette. Consequently, no one eats outside. As a result of this cultural aspect my parents found themselves offering many a dutch cheese sandwich to any local passer-by who scouted their outdoor picnic.
Similarly, there were numerous times when they were offered corn on the cob and other street feast items on their jaunts about town. Could you imagine having to offer whatever it is you're eating to someone who crosses your path? This is a social etiquette lost on north Americans who would offended at the thought of sharing a bag of corn nuts with the teen on the
ETS bus. But back to the pop-in. Much of our socializing takes places in the cyber realm where you can never be caught off guard and where your profile picture always shows your most becoming side. I think a revival of the art of the pop-in would release a sense of authenticity among those who you care about and might unmask the veneer of the profile picture into something more believable.
A friend of mine popped by after closure with her ex when I was already laying in bed. As I I adore this friend and was only guiltily watching Californication online anyway, this pop-in was more than welcome. The pop-in is an unannounced visit perfect for impromptu tea parties or catalyzing thrift store shopping. I lament the fact that the art of yesterday's pop-in is a dying social nicety. I find that if I want to see someone the fact that the mood is striking is no longer the impetus for a visit. Oftentimes one has to call, text, or email, set a date, and meet between the feign of a busy work schedule and the banality of the day-to-day. This is not to say that the planned rendez-vous isn't fulfilling yet it does lack the joie de vivre that is the pop-in. In a pop-in filled world you would always break bread with a spontaneous joiner or find a "just stopped by to say hi" note pinned to your door. It kind of reminds me of an anecdote from the time my parents visited my brother in Zambia. The code of conduct in Zambia is that if someone sees you eating, you have to offer the bystander to join you in your meal. This isn't an optional gesture, no it is an unwritten rule in Zambian social etiquette. Consequently, no one eats outside. As a result of this cultural aspect my parents found themselves offering many a dutch cheese sandwich to any local passer-by who scouted their outdoor picnic. 
Similarly, there were numerous times when they were offered corn on the cob and other street feast items on their jaunts about town. Could you imagine having to offer whatever it is you're eating to someone who crosses your path? This is a social etiquette lost on north Americans who would offended at the thought of sharing a bag of corn nuts with the teen on the ETS bus. But back to the pop-in. Much of our socializing takes places in the cyber realm where you can never be caught off guard and where your profile picture always shows your most becoming side. I think a revival of the art of the pop-in would release a sense of authenticity among those who you care about and might unmask the veneer of the profile picture into something more believable.
Very true, I love your blog!
ReplyDeleteHey Hanka, you can pop-in any time :-) Luv YOur Blog -
ReplyDeleteMonika