I worry that we have abandoned many of the places in our culture where such random interactions can occur. If we abandon churches and theaters and live sporting events, we will have no reason to collect, unless it is at political rallies, which can be just as dangerous as not collecting at all. We pass each other at the mall without speaking. We sit on airplanes without ever exchanging a word or a glance. We plug in our earphones and open our laptops and we disappear. We simply disappear into our selves.