Say What?

"Let us make a special effort to stop communicating with each other, so we can have some conversation."  - Mark Twain


Ah, yes, speaking words verbally...so much better than a text or email.

We have become a society of so little conversation, so little in fact that most of our conversations within the four walls of the same house are via text through our cell phones. But, speaking words in general and more than the habitual hello is what some still crave.

Just recently I avoided the long line of a drive-thru at McDonalds and decided to just run inside for a quick cup of coffee. Lo' and behold, while standing in line by the cashier someone politely tapped on my shoulder. Alas', it was a friend I had not seen in a long time. She was having lunch there with her co-worker so I decided to sit and visit with them for a little while and catch up on old times.

Upon their leaving to go back to work,  a senior citizen sitting next to us was apologizing for talking too loud. I told him I hadn't even noticed and thus I ended up sitting next to this Korean War Veteran and chatted with him for a half hour. So much, for that quick run-in for coffee! But I could tell this senior just wanted another fella to talk to and so I obliged. Sometimes that is what we need to do, slow down and actually do more than recognize a person with a simple nod and hello.

After leaving there I found myself in a bit of a quandary on deciding which of two hair cutting salons to go to for a haircut, since my time was now cut even shorter. After I made my decision and went to my choice of destination I came across a new gal working at the Super Cuts. We quickly struck up a conversation which led me to providing her with some quality traveling tips that she was desperately in search of for her family.

Some days we will embark on situations or circumstances that we might not even be looking for, but they are there, like the old man who just wanted a conversation with someone other than his peers.

 Now if we could just get ourselves out of ourselves and take notice of those around us, who knows what may happen.

The opportunities exist all around us, we just need to be looking and not staring at our cell phone.