The funny thing about social media is that it doesn't have the best reputation for actually being social. Unless you count fighting with random strangers about whether a hot dog is a sandwich or not as being social. It has made us all a bit more hesitant in real life, I think.
Facebook | Amanda Marquell Craft
Guy Shares Meal With Old Lady After Teens Ignore Her And A Friendship Is Born
So we really need these reminders that it's okay to go out in public and reach out when you need to reach out.
We need to know that good people will do the right thing when's it's asked of them. We need more Eric Haralsons.
Eric was at a McDonald's one day, just having a meal and minding his own business when an elderly woman named Jan approached him.
Unsplash | a befendo
She was there alone, as he was, and so she asked him if they could sit together. "Of course," he replied.
Jan had just tried to strike up a conversation with a group of teenagers who were also there, with no luck.
Facebook | Eric Haralson
"One of the kids had a man bun," Eric told Good Morning America, "and she was very intrigued by it and asked what made him come up with that hairstyle."
"They didn't take to her that much...she said, 'What, did I scare them off?' I said, 'I guess you did.'"
Unsplash | Seth Doyle
Which is a really shame, since the stereotype is that older people look down on the style choices of the younger generations. Conversing with someone who is genuinely curious is an unusual opportunity.
So, Eric and Jan talked for about 45 minutes, getting to know each other.
"She goes to church every Sunday, we talked a lot about that," he recalled. "We talked about my girlfriend, my kids, she did not have any kids or a significant other that she made mention of."
"I could tell she's a firecracker. She will tell you exactly how she feels and has no problem being outgoing."
Another customer at McDonald's that morning, Amanda Marquell Craft, noticed what was going on and caught a lighthearted moment between the two.
She later shared the image on Facebook, giving Eric a shout out.
Facebook | Amanda Marquell Craft
"My friends and I watched him introduce himself and shake her hand," she wrote. "They talked and laughed together like they were friends. They didn’t know each other, and they couldn’t be more different. But today they shared a meal together and it touched our hearts."
Amanda's post struck a chord, and promptly went viral, picking up more than 17,000 reactions and 8,000 shares.
Facebook | Amanda Marquell Craft
And the 1,600 comments are all lovely, expressing love for their laughter together, and plenty of love for Eric in particular.
It seems like there was a friendship beyond just a McDonald's breakfast for Eric and Jan, too.
After the meal, he walked her to her car and they exchanged numbers so they could stay in touch.
He did try to contact her after Amanda's Facebook post went viral, but only got her voicemail.
Still, he's determined to check in on her. "I'll keep trying," he told Today. "I know if we had forever she would have a story for me every day."
Inspired by the event, the owners of the McDonald's decided to dedicate a new community table to Jan and Eric.
WTHR
They hope to inspire other customers to chat with each other, and installed a community table in all 14 of the franchise locations they own.
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