BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Shane Tanenbaum starts every conversation with "tell me a little bit about yourself" as he sits behind a table with signs like "be heard" and "here to listen" and waits for someone to stop by and talk.
He calls this "The Listening Table."
"I thought it was a great way to give back and listen to people and hopefully curve some negative impacts," Tanenbaum said.
Tanenbaum started the table to give men a space to talk to someone, but has expanded it to anyone who takes a seat. The conversations he has gives him insight about strangers he has never met before.
"They are anywhere, from people complaining about today's youth all the way to a gentleman who lost his marriage and doesn't know what to do from this point forward," Tanenbaum said.
He spends hours at various locations around Bloomington meeting people. Even if no one stops by, he knows sitting there is still a big impact.
"It's so important to let people know they are not alone," Tanenbaum said.
For the ones who take a seat at the table, the conversations make them feel better.
"It's always better to talk," said Sye Hogan, a visitor to "The Listening Table."
Tanenbaum knows setting up this table allows people to get things off their chest, but during the holidays, it's more important than ever.
"Especially this time of year, this is supposed to be a time of joy, happiness, love and family, and not a lot of people have that," Tanenbaum said.
Tanenbaum hopes the conversations continue when people leave the table because asking one question can make a person feel like they're heard.