Mrs. Gable looked up, surprised and then deeply relieved. "Oh, Elias! That would be a godsend. These old bones aren't what they used to be."
Encouraged by this small success, Elias began to "force himself out of his comfort zone". He started using a simple, repeatable conversation starter: "Hey, what kind of music do you like?". He realized that most people weren't judging him as harshly as he judged himself; in fact, many were just as "guarded or shy" as he was. sociableness
As they worked together, the silence wasn't the heavy, suffocating kind he was used to. It was a "pause to enjoy life". They talked about the maple tree, the upcoming city pick-up date, and the "cultural shock" Mrs. Gable had felt when she first moved to the city decades ago. That would be a godsend
"Can I... help you with those?" he asked. The words felt heavy, but he forced a "big smile". He realized that most people weren't judging him