I also spent a little time in the park, just me and a Coelho book basking in the sunshine. That is until a toddler approached my bench. I said hello, expecting her to toddle by or be swept up by a parent momentarily. Nope. She climbed up next to me and smiled like we were old friends, started spewing gibberish and giggling. I helped her figure out how to set her bottle down so it didn't tip, she reached for my apartment keys. Finally dad appeared with the stroller and parked himself two feet in front of us. Interestingly, he didn't sweep her up and rush away (I suppose that means I don't look threatening?). I played a couple rounds of word recognition with the kid. (She got "keys" correct, but called my book a "rock"...)
There's a point to this story, beside the fact that a dad let his baby interact with a random girl in the park. I found myself slightly envious of her unworried, free-spirited nature. She had no qualms walking right up and interacting with me. There was no over-analyzing, no fear of rejection or awkwardness. When she saw something of mine that interested her, she didn't stop herself from being inquisitive. Obviously we give more concessions to a two-year-old who is just discovering the world. I probably would've been less supportive of a 40-year-old woman acting the same way. So, my question here is: when does it stop being seeming socially acceptable to approach people without invitation and insert yourself into their day? What is the dividing line between innocent and invasive?
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