I don't leave the office today, so I don't have opportunities to make eye contact. But, I'm planning to go to the climbing gym tonight, and my intention is set on asking someone there.
I walk in with my friends, stuff my things into a cubby, and set right off to scout the place for a participant. I walk past a group of folks sitting on the mat, watching one of their friends climb. I notice the person with short hair and consider asking them, keep walking a bit, around the corner, where I don't see many people, and then I realize that the person I saw is the person I'm going to ask. Something just switched from "want to" to "will" and I walk over and sit down next to her.
"Hi."
"Hi," she says as she turns and looks at me.
"I'm doing an experiment in which every day I ask a stranger to make eye contact with me for 60 seconds. Is that something you're willing to do with me?"
She says she'll do it.
I tell her no looking away and no talking once I start the timer. She asks if she can blink, and I tell her she can. I also tell her she can breathe. :)
About 20 seconds in she laughs a small laugh. About 40 seconds in she laughs a medium laugh. Her eyes are bright and light-hearted.
The timer beeps and I give her one of the new leave-behind cards.
I tell her the card has the blog URL on it and ask if can use her first name and picture for it. She consents.
Her name is Jessica and this is her photo:
I ask if she has any questions and she says "nope!" I tell her my email is on the blog if she wants to follow up for any reason, then I thank her and return to my friends for a night of climbing.