THE ART OF CONVERSATION
Whatever happened to active listening? The art of conversation has fallen into disarray, or perhaps it's because I am around more people of a certain age who feel they have lots of stories to tell. I keep running into people who will not stop talking. They start on a subject, and before you know it, they give you more details than you want, followed by another story with extraneous information. I swear I can hear marbles rattling inside their skulls. Many spend way too much time discussing our health issues as we age. My goal is to stop endless discussions about health or the lack thereof! When I notice eyes glazing over, I know it's time to change the subject of my latest illness by asking them about their recent vacation. Some people need help to read body language, lack insight and have no realization that the person they are sharing valuable(!) information is bored out of their minds. It never crosses their minds to ask the listener questions because what they say is ...