Who hasn’t found themselves in a cab, hoping for a few minutes to check email, only to have a driver who wants to know all about you in an effort to start a casual conversation? Set aside your phone and take the opportunity to have a casual conversation with the driver, explaining what you do, how their tax dollars support your NIH- or NSF-funded research, and how that research may one day address diseases important to everyone. If you educate the cab driver, they may also share your story with other passengers and bring your story to others.
Opportunities to have similar casual conversations may arise when you are at the dog park, on an airplane, or even in line at a store. Take advantage of every chance to share your story with your neighbors.