Everybody's normal until you get to know them

I was in a meeting the other day with a guy from the human library. In case you've never heard of this lot, allow me to explain.

Some young people on an estate were given the challenge of coming up with an initiative that would help people overcome prejudice in their local community. I want to meet those kids. Their idea was to create a human library, where members of the public can go, take out a 'book', and ask that person any questions they like. 'Books' can have all sorts of titles, from the immediate (Refugee from Nazi Germany) to the mysterious (Blood in the water) - however the book wants to pitch it.

People have been using this concept all over the place - recently there were libraries all round Norfolk for Refugee week. It creates an amazing, fun opportunity to discover and explore worlds we maybe never even knew existed.

But hearing about this idea made me think a bit wider. If there's all these people out there with fascinating stories, why do I have to wait for someone to organise a gimmick event to talk to them? Why don't I just ask people I meet everyday their stories?

Example. I got tipped off about the cannily-named Canaries barbers down my road. Not only do they never haver a queue, but I end up discovering all sorts of stuff about my Algerian barber's love life, adventures across europe, and the Muslim scene in Norwich... all of which I know nothing about!

How many people do you live with, work with, hang out with, whose story you know nothing about? It's a scary thought. And if you're like me, there's probably many of them you struggle to hold an interesting conversation with, so they just become awkward to be around. It makes me think of a John Ortberg book: Everybody's Normal Till You Get to Know Them.

What would happen to our homes/workplaces/social circles, if one day soon, in a lull in conversation, we just asked, 'so, what's your story?' 'What brought you here? Where are you going next?' I think these communities might end up looking more like we all wish they did. And it's dead easy - we don't even have to do any talking!

Why not try it out this week, and see what happens? Then if it inspires you, post up your experience on here. Let's go and make use of the great, free, world wide human library!