Speak Up or Butt Out
Interacting with strangers has different social rules depending on where you live and what your personal preferences are. In places like Japan, people don’t typically make small talk with cashiers or other strangers, but in America, carrying on with store employees and other shoppers within earshot isn’t out of the ordinary.
If we want to be part of a conversation with a stranger, it’s our responsibility to join and see if they let us in the loop rather than pout if we don’t get an invitation. Perhaps this Karen missed out on her own high school reunion and wanted to feel like part of the in-crowd, but we can see why she probably wasn’t.