Greetings and Snubbings

A couple moves off after exchanging a greeting with me.

    While I took a walk, two adults strolled by in the opposite direction. They were strangers to me. We exchanged hellos. A simple courtesy.
    Two days prior, the scenario played out differently. I was taking a walk.  Three teenagers—a boy and two girls—shuffled in my direction along a sidewalk. They were probably fourteen or fifteen years old. The gap between us closed. I offered a nod and a quiet hello.
    One of the girls fixated on a smartphone. The other girl stared down at the pavement. The boy looked at nothing in particular, including me. They passed without saying a word.
    I wasn’t surprised by their snub. Many teens shun impromptu interactions—even a simple hello—with adults. Aloofness is part of their modus operandi.
    But later in their teens, that sense of detachment fades. They're more apt to say hello to passersby.
    When a teenager greets a stranger, that adolescent has become a young adult.