<
https://vancouverislandfreedaily.com/2025/11/23/no-go-away-weirdo-handwritten-notes-helping-b-c-residents-connect/>
"Carrie Parsons didn’t expect a personal writing project to turn into one of
Victoria’s fastest-growing connection engines, but the signs were there,
literally.
Long before her Meet a Stranger gatherings started drawing crowds in Fairfield,
she was leaving handwritten invitations around town, offering to buy a stranger
a cup of coffee in exchange for an hour of conversation.
Halfway through those early chats, she realized the idea wasn’t just working,
it was revealing something bigger.
“I was learning so much about myself,” she said. “I really wanted to take this
personal project and make it public and let other people learn as much about
themselves and others as I’m doing.”
That impulse became Meet a Stranger, which launched in July 2024 and now
reliably attracts about 50 people to each gathering. Parsons caps attendance
only because the room can’t hold any more.
She can tell you exactly why the demand is there.
“Ninety to 95 per cent of the people who came were introverts,” she said. “They
were all saying the exact same thing: I want to connect with strangers. I just
feel like I need permission or an invitation to connect.”
Outside of the monthly meetups, Victoria residents can take advantage of a
second pathway to connection through a growing network of local coffee shops.
Seven cafes are already on board: Peckish Cafe, Deer & Dough, Ruth & Dean,
Breakwater Bistro, Koffi House, North Perk and Bean Around the World.
This program, run through Parsons’ nonprofit West Coast Speaks, uses three
simple tools to make that invitation unmistakable: monthly events, buttons
scattered around the region and table signs in participating cafes.
“When you walk into this room, everyone is open to conversation,” Parsons said.
“No one’s going to turn to you and be like, ‘Go away, weirdo.’ We’re all on the
same page.”"
Via
Reasons to be Cheerful:
<
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/what-were-reading-bike-friendly-world-mission/>
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
