Walking through the hallways, it’s clear that in high school people typically have two types of friends. Friends we hang out with, and friends we see in the hallways. That being said, I don’t see why there needs to be a difference.

I’m not suggesting we bake a cake filled with rainbows and have everybody eat it, but rather that we don’t forget the value in all the relationships we have with people, no matter how small a role they play in our lives.

Several times I’ve heard classmates comment that the people we greet for brief moments in the halls or the ones with whom we merely share happy birthday wishes on Facebook are not real friends. They criticize the seemingly superficial nature of these relationships, saying there is no real care involved. What, then, is the solution? Greeting those we know and making brief, awkward eye contact with everyone else before moving on?

I for one treasure my time in the hallways, and see nothing superficial in two human beings taking the time to say hi to each other. Whether you’re greeting your best friend or simply nodding at the kid who picked his nose in a class freshman year, you never know when you might really need that person in the future.

If I could present every Spartan with a challenge, it would be to spend 60 whole seconds each day getting to know someone you know you won’t see after 2:55. I know those 60 seconds makes the challenge a pretty hefty time investment, but you’ll see change almost immediately. For those that criticize superficial hallway relationships, change them yourselves by becoming more involved with them.

Saying every student has his or her own unique story is a huge understatement. Finding out that story doesn’t necessarily mean an upperclassmen needs to just grab a freshman and yell at them to unload all their secrets, because, for one, that’s not very effective and, second, it’s kidnapping. Simply interact with a new person or a long lost friend if you get the chance. It may not necessarily turn into a Billy Madison-esque story of that person putting on lipstick and saving your life, but the results of your efforts can only be positive.

Over and over we hear others at school telling us to get involved, but, while joining clubs or sports is certainly a worthwhile endeavor, the effort can be made on a much smaller scale. Though typically unintentional, we have a habit of ignoring the people around us, and this habit prevents so many doors from opening. Of course approaching new people is a vulnerable position, but everyone is in the same boat.

We may not realize it, but every interaction we let slip out of fear of our own vulnerability effectively burns the bridge we would use to cross over that fear. After all, keeping one bridge intact could cause others to rise up as well.