C'mon over to my sandbox

                                                               
Where do we learn who we will and won't "play" with?  I always find it fascinating when I observe either myself or others in our social interractions. Especially as we enter a room of strangers, acquaintances or friends:  who do we wind up hanging around and why?

Sure, there are people who enter a room and will say "Hi" to one and all, with the same response from them -- and perhaps they scoot over and want more contact from that outgoing person.  But for the other 98% of us, we're almost always very "selective".  So is it snobbishishness or protectiveness or a bit of both depending on the situation?

When we look at animal videos of clusters of animals, we can observe this and laugh at it.  When it comes to ourselves, I'm not sure how aware we are of it, yet it happens everywhere, anytime you have a group of people. 

We walk into the room, perhaps not talking to anyone, but just eyeing everything/one, taking it/them all in.  Someone may or may not approach us.  If they don't, usually we have to decide where or who we might just stand by and hope to start talking to.  How does this happen?  Is it by choice or just randomly?  Particularly if in a group of complete strangers. 

Have you ever walked into a group that may be newly acquainted with each other, perhaps have broken off into smaller sub-groups, and found when you enter that you get a long look and feel some who look at you may be thinking "oh, someone new...where are they going and who will they end up talking to?" 

Social interactions are amazing.  I can make my way anonymously thru the blogworld, the video posting world, and never once talk to anyone.  Then again I can feel social and friendly and try to strike up a convo.  Sometimes it's welcomed, other times it's not. 

My point is -- we all have our sandboxes.  Sometimes there are people we want to stay and play with in our sandbox.  Sometimes there are those who wander in and out and are off to someone else's sandbox in no time.  Some that come into your sandbox you shoo quickly away or shun.

Sometimes we welcome diversity, sometimes we only want those in it that play the same way we do.

Whatever the case, I usually always enjoy the sandboxes of another welcoming sandbox player rather than one who shoos me away.  It's lonely playing in one's own sandbox all the time alone.

C'mon over to my sandbox -- if you promise you won't throw too much sand all around!