Be Suspicious by Default

I stay in one of the University apartments located at a remote place in the south border of the campus. A crop field spreads over a vast area across the street. There I see a flock of birds every day making a peculiar chirp, which are bigger than the crow in my country. I wanted to know the name of the bird. But when I see the bird, I couldn’t find anyone appropriate to ask and when someone was available I couldn’t find even a single bird around.

Horses in the field

That day when I reached the bus stop, one girl was already there waiting for the bus. She looked at me and smiled. Her smile was so open and welcoming that I decided to ask her the name of the bird. “Is it crow? I’m not sure.” She answered. It was my first meeting with Marisa Gwidt who is a journalist, now back to school for her masters course.

But the other day I told her, “If I had read that article earlier, I would not have dared to talk to you.” I was referring to an article appeared in the Daily Illini entitled, “Stepping outside comfort zone isn’t that difficult.” Actually the tone of the article was positive; the author Rebecca says that sometimes it’s good to talk to someone even though it is a stranger. But there were a few comments which bothered me, like “parental warnings of never talk to strangers,” “talking to strangers is creepy and doesn’t seem socially acceptable,” etc. Then I started watching fellow passengers in bus. Yes, it’s true. No one talks to others. And now I’m afraid even to occupy the vacant seat if someone is already on the next seat. Because I don’t know how they feel if a stranger, and that too a foreigner sits next to them.

Then Marisa asked me, “How is in your country? Do you talk?”

I told her that we behave similarly too and I could not find any surprise as this is quite natural everywhere. In my country, we talk to strangers during travels only if it is necessary. I never claim that my country is safe. Recently there was a blast in the Supreme Court campus, a place where we expect utmost security and safety. We need to and have to take precautions. I read similar warnings in India and America, “Don’t touch unattended bags or boxes. If you find it, call the police from a safe distance. Be a transit watcher.” or “Be suspicious by default.” Then we become all the more conscious. It is scary for anyone to read such warnings.

Then Marisa said, “May be we think that we can control everything.” Evidence for the freedom of speech in America. Perhaps this is because of her journalistic mind.