Making small, heartwarming connections with strangers

1. At the bagel store, an annoying little kid running around, banging into people bangs into me and generally stands in my way. His mother calls him, and he has the same name as me. "Hi," I say calling him by his name. "that's my name too."

He glares at me.

2. Outside the bagel store in the parking lot a car pulls quickly into the spot next to me as I unlock my door. A little close. The woman driving wears an Arizona State sweatshirt and her window is down.

"A Sun Devil," I say.

She pauses just a moment. "I had no idea what you were talking about," she says.

"I grew up in Tempe," I say as I get in the car.

"I hate it there" she says, and goes into the store.