The elevator is a great place to converse with a stranger.  You are in a confined space, often within a comfortable distance to engage in conversation.  You don’t want to be impolite and ignore the person, so you smile and ask an innocuous question.

This past Saturday, while attending the NCAA Regional Men’s Basketball Tournament in Louisville, my son and I were in the elevator at the Brown Hotel.  We got on the elevator with a well-dressed older couple.  As the doors closed, I smiled and asked, “Where do you live?”

The gentleman’s answer was, “Here.”

Since it was a Saturday morning, I assumed that they must be attending a special event at the hotel, so I said, “Are you here for a wedding?”

I thought he said, “This is where we married.”

I then said, “Then you are here to celebrate a special anniversary?”

“No,” he said, a little exasperated at my confusion.   “We are getting married today at 4:30!”

Wow!  I wasn’t expecting that answer from a couple probably in their mid- seventies.  My son and I then shook hands with the beaming couple, congratulated them, and wished them success. We chuckled as we left the elevator, a little embarrassed and yet inspired by the obvious optimism and happiness of this couple.

Don’t ignore people on an elevator.  You just might get your energy boost for the day by engaging in conversation with the stranger next to you; whether the elevator is going up or down, you might find yourself uplifted.