My mother-in-law has this talent - she's the one who becomes lifelong friends with someone she sat next to on a plane one time, etc.

And while it sometimes seems like a gift (folks in this thread in awe at the ability to easily chat folks up in a bar), it feels like a burden sometimes too. She'll talk to someone somewhere, get emotionally invested in their life, and next thing you know she needs to give someone a ride hours away, or she's calling other friends looking for a job for her new friend, etc. I guess those are normal, friendly, human social behaviors, but it feels like she takes it to a level that I personally find exhausting. Which makes sense, as I tend to be slightly introverted.