Why a Chicken Will Cross the Road But a Rooster Never Will

Did you ever notice how two guys who are familiar with each other will see each other at, say, the Wawa? Yet neither one will acknowledge the other's existence. They silently prepare their respective coffees, eyeing each other, waiting for the other to show the first glimmer of recognition.
It will take some random act, such as physically bumping into each other in the cashier's line for them to even say "Hey."
"Oh hey, I thought I recognized you."
"Oh, sorry man, I didn't even see you. How's it going?"

The other day, after returning from a jog with Tammy at the Cabin, I noticed my neighbor across the street chopping wood. Since I was new to the area we had not yet met. For ten agonizing minutes (agonizing to Tammy, not me), I debated whether or not I should physically cross the street to go meet him. I don't want to have to make small talk I reasoned. He is probably not interested in knowing me, and besides isn't it his obligation to welcome me to the neighborhood?
"Are you for real?" responded Tammy. Just go over and say hi. So with a herculean effort, and my tail, if I had one, between my legs, I subserviently sauntered over and introduced myself and Tammy.

Well, we of course immediately became friends and in the short time we have owned the cabin I feel like we have been neighbors and friends for twenty years. He, however, told me an interesting story that day which grandly illustrates my point and even more satisfyingly, showed Tammy that my behavior is indeed evolutionarily predetermined.
It seems our other next door neighbor (who was also new to the street, yet had never made that trip across the road), put his trash out for the township to collect. Our new friend noticed this yet did not tell him that there is no municipal trash collection because who is he to get involved in another guy's business especially one whom he did not know, and besides, the guy never asked. The trash sat there for a week he told us! We laughed at the story because I know our new friend would do absolutely anything to help us feel comfortable in our new home.

A man will never cross into the boundary of another man unless invited to do so. It may sometimes take a mighty effort to be the first to extend a hand but like in my case, it is almost always certainly worth it.