Smile ... We need it

How do you feel when you encounter a person in any setting when the individual does not even acknowledge your presence?

Why does this happen?

Can't we connect even at some surficial level just to make each others' day more pleasant? Is this how you encounter others, with your face without expression, looking forward or looking down? When someone says hello or smiles at you, do you recipricate?

Life would be so much more enjoyable if we could all just connect better. It starts with a smile and maybe a "hello." I know that we need to be careful not to let our guard down in case someone we encounter is likely to take advantage of us. But aren't we smarter than that? Do we need to treat every individual that we encounter as a potential threat?

I would love to know what you think.