THINK INTIMACY, and images straight from the greeting card aisle probably spring to mind: silhouetted figures walking along the beach; heads bent together over a candlelit dinner; raised wine glasses backlit by a roaring fire. But break free of these Hallmark clich?s, and you realize that intimacy is all around us. Intimacy goes further than romance to encompass so many of our everyday relationships -- relationships that have nothing to do with amorous or sexual attachment but can yield more intense, deeply felt moments than all the leisurely strolls and six-hour dinners put together. Some of those relationships pop up in places that might surprise you.

Coffee-Shop Connection
Perhaps it's the early-morning haze, or maybe it's the precaffeine stupor, but there's something intensely intimate about that daily, almost wordless interaction between you and your favorite coffee-shop barista. (But beware: The moment you exchange names, this fragile intimacy can burst and give way to daily bouts of strained small talk about the wind chill, yesterday's ball game, etc.)

A Circle of Friends
Many observers predict that by the year 2020 the majority of Americans will live alone. And who better to pad out this singleton society than good friends? As we've already seen in television shows like Sex and the City, Friends, Seinfeld, and Entourage, many people derive their most intimate moments not from late-night pillow talk with a significant other, but from a tight circle of pals.

Bumper-Sticker Bonding
When you're taking a road trip deep in the heart of America, especially during election season, the bumper sticker of a like-minded soul can lift your spirits and forge an immediate, if fleeting, connection.

Co-Worker Confidants
Forget Marx's theory of alienated labor. Due to the rise of 20th-century concepts like 'company loyalty' and 'company spirit,' says sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild, the office is now seen as a cozy place. Many of us spend more waking hours at work than at home these days (especially during a sluggish economy when employees are squeezed for extra productivity). The silver lining of all those long hours? An everyday intimacy with our co-workers that recalls the salad days of college. As opposed to catching up with a friend every few months over a rushed lunch ('So, what's going on with you?!'), workplace intimacy is about developing a casual shorthand, chatting about matters both large and small, and bonding over that seemingly inexhaustible topic: the clueless, brutish boss.