This blog post is all about conversation starters, and getting out of your comfort zone. When I was younger, I struggled with introductions, and getting to know new people. So, I challenged myself to pick something random and start conversations with strangers. I met some great people through this challenge, and I have decided to share the value of it now.
The backstory…
I was raised as a military kid. So, naturally, I moved around a lot, and that was a blessing and a curse. I got to experience a lot by moving so much, but I had some trouble getting connected when we landed somewhere new. I had always been very extroverted, and I never had any problem making friends, until middle school. I was homeschooled since I was in second grade. I found that, as I was getting older, kids wanted to hang out with the people they went to school with, and I would be left out. So, for a while I tried to come up with a way to introduce myself, without being boring.
My wonderful idea…
I decided that I would come up with an ice breaker that would also provide me with a conversation topic. So, I would walk up to complete strangers and ask: “Do you like peanut butter?”
Before I actually started my social experiment, I wondered what people would think of me. Would they think I was weird? Would they laugh? However, no matter the reaction that came to mind, I still had a desire to go out and try it.
Testing it out…
I first tried this ice breaker at a summer camp. I had flown across country to attend an academic camp, and I figured that I would probably never run into the people I met, again. I first tried it out on a couple members of my team there at the camp, and I had some mixed reactions. I then moved on and asked a random attendee, only to find out that they were allergic to peanut butter. I continued to use this ice breaker throughout the week, and was pretty happy with the results.
When I got back home, I found out that my mom had offered to meet with a family that had just moved to our area. I jumped at the opportunity to test my experiment on a new demographic, and I was thrilled to go. When I met the family, I found out that they had a daughter that was about my age. So, I decided it was the perfect opportunity, and I used my ice breaker once again.
The outcome…
At camp: Well, it turns out that the kid, who happened to be allergic to peanut butter, was named Luke. He is still one of my closest friends to this day. The ice breaker went over really well at camp, and I made quite a few friends by using it. I think it was less about the words I was saying, and more about the action of introducing myself in a unique way. People actually thought that I came off as being really confident and unique. It was pretty cool to experience how everyone’s impression of me was impacted by something so simple.
Back at home: I never would have imagined how much people would like the random question I had been using. It seemed ridiculous to me, and I had totally expected people to brush me off. However, that girl who had just moved to my town, became my best friend. We were inseparable for two, or three, years following that first encounter. I’m not saying that I completely credit the question: “Do you like peanut butter?” with giving me great friendships, but it definitely opened the door.
Nowadays…
I have received countless jars of peanut butter from friends who cherish that introduction, as some kind of inside joke. It turns out that my weird social experiment turned into a quirky, well cherished, memory for many of my friends. I don’t know if there are a lot of people out there who struggle with introductions, but if you have ever been in my situation, consider giving something like this a try. Sometimes, it can be quite surprising, the impact that a small action can have on your whole life.
Thank you!
Thanks for taking the time out of your day to read this post! Let me know what you think in the comments below!