hello?

one second, two seconds.

silence.

it's kind of scary, if you honestly think about it.

eye contact may sting, skin-to-skin brushes may hurt,

but there's nothing as revealing as saying the word

the feeling of vulnerability,

the pain of hanging words and anticipation

they may pretend not to notice the eye contact,

dismiss the brushes as accidents,

but there is no avoiding something as powerful as speech, no matter how soft or whispered it may be

it's scary, it always is. opening yourself up for the first judgement is scary.

but sometimes - no, most times - the pain, the awkwardness is all worth it

because as scary as it is to talk,

there is nothing like talking to break that salt-dusted ice

to create vines of warmth and tangles of friendship that tie two together like no other

so don't turn away from that first greeting

because who knows?

in reward for your stuttering, soft exchanging of breath,

you may just get in response

a more confident,

open,

inviting

hello.