Santa was about to close-up for the evening at the mall. No kids in line so I asked him if I could take a selfie with him. He said, “Sure.”

After I took the picture, he said, “It’s been a long day. Stay and talk with me.” So I did. We talked about his role in the world and our families.

It was strangely surreal and gratifying, and I’ve thought a lot about it – about why, knowing the circumstances of Santa’s appearance at the mall, I was so struck by my time with him.  Here’s what I’ve come to think about that:  he had spent all day having brief and superficial conversations.  He wanted a deeper human connection, and I was the object of that desire – that touched me and made me feel special.  It made me feel drawn to engage.

I’ve referred a lot recently to my belief that social media is distracting us from deeper human connection and my conversation with Santa is a great reminder.  In business, in life, people crave deep connection. Remember Dale Carnegie’s timeless How To Win Friends and Influence People?

P.S. I was so engaged in the conversation that I forgot to ask him for anything!