On being a hello-er

Although I love talking with people—whether it’s having deep chats or just exchanging simple hellos—initiating communication has never been my strong suit. Most of the time, I’ve remained passive in first interactions. However, whenever someone else took the first step, I always did my best to keep the conversation lively and meaningful.

After moving back to Japan recently and settling in the countryside, I’ve started noticing the power of a simple “hello” while wandering around the neighborhood. It makes me genuinely happy to receive these random greetings from strangers, accompanied by a smile. Inspired by this, I decided to try it myself.

And wow—turns out I might be more of an extrovert than I thought! Now, I don’t go overboard by greeting every single person I see (that would definitely be a bit creepy), but I’ve realized that you can often sense the vibe of another person and gauge whether they might be open to a friendly gesture. When I feel it’s appropriate, I say hello and slightly bow my head to passersby. So far, I haven’t received any negative reactions—just smiles, nods, and warm greetings in return.

For now, I’m enjoying my role as a “hello-er” and want to work on improving my overall communication skills. While I’m typically the more dominant side in conversations, taking the first step has always been a challenge for me. I figured that becoming a “hello-er” could be the first small but meaningful step toward overcoming this. Let’s see how it goes.