What topics do you like to discuss?
A wise man speaks because he has something to say. A fool speaks because he has to say something.
Plato
Wisdom and foolishness are based on perspective, and I feel that perspective is dictated by our life experiences. I am no judge. I’m just another talker. I enjoy talking. About anything. And everything. At any time. And in any place. And like a talker, I sometimes lose my train of thought. When I was younger, this never mattered, because I would continue to talk. But off late, the kids have forced me to focus on my pravarchans and restricted ramblings. I also talk as per the allotted times. I would definitely excel at those ‘Jest a minute’ competitions that were all the rage, while I was in school. The point of talking then was to while away the time. But today, there could be any number of reasons to talk. You could talk to express thoughts, to conceal thoughts, or to replace thoughts. I talk for all three reasons, and I’ve never succeeded at doing all three at the same time. But I live in hope.
I have a view on most topics, and I don’t mind sharing it. I don’t advise unless I am asked. Talking to give advice would entail you have a good lesson to teach. The kids. They get advice. They get admonished. They get adulation. And that’s where it stops. I feel that life teaches the best lessons and is the best teacher. I like being a student. I like learning. And I like discussing the lessons. I also like experiments to see what would happen if settings changed. But I like discussions, conversations, and anything that lets me express my ideas with a counter-argument that helps me understand a topic in-depth and in all its gory details.
This brings me to how I like to talk. I like to talk with people. Not talk-at. And definitely not talk down to. I’m a conversationalist. But I am also a controversialist. And a sensationalist. My conversations and discussions will elicit a reaction. The reaction is left to the discretion of the listener, who is also the conversationalist involved here. Or maybe they are just listeners eavesdropping on a conversation they were not invited to have. And in that scenario, you can’t blame me.
But to be a good conversationalist, you need to be a linguist. In some instances, even a partial linguist, someone with only a partial understanding of the language can make for some interesting conversations. Talk. Converse. Discuss. Understand. Learn. Grow. Change. Evolve. We’ve moved from cave-dwelling artists to interesting conversationalists. All of us have a story to share, an experience to re-live, and a lesson to impart. Make the time. Indulge your mind. Satisfy your curiosity. Because you have all night to be silent and wrapped up in your thoughts.
As a talker, I understand the importance of silence. Because most of my work is done in silence. I think loudly, and when that happens, I have conversations in silence that help me sort through all the chaos. It’s only when you have a silence that can you appreciate the value of a conversation. Or maybe it’s the other way around, it’s only when you have conversations and discussions do you understand the value of silence.
Now that I have covered, talking. And languages. And silence. Let’s discuss topics. As I mentioned, I talk about anything and everything. The point is conversation. And understanding. I don’t have taboo topics and no discussions are off-limits. But my favorite topics would involve Tara, and will end up featuring Butch, or it could start with discussions on having kids and raising them to self-growth and conversations on hormones, or it could be about social mores and expectations and extend into self-discovery and understanding. Or it could be about my favorite authors growing up and the lack of language skills or appreciation for English in the dystopian tales I sometimes indulge in. Every talker has ‘off’ topics and mine include politics. Of any region. And the cause of natural disasters. I’ve often found that the blame game is a lot of finger-pointing gesticulation that’s extremely frustrating. I would rather discuss what changes and contributions we can make to affect a change so there is no repeat.
A greeting. A genuine compliment. A sarcastic comment. An observation I speak out loud. Or a general reference on the climate and I start conversations all the time. I speak to delivery drivers, newspaper vendors, cashiers at the grocery store, cleaners in the building, and gardeners tending to the lawn, I’ve had some of the most amazing conversations with the most random people I run into. But the craziest conversations happen during cab drives. Drivers are bored ferrying people up and down. Traffic is always busy. It’s a tedious job and boring to boot. And drivers notice and observe a lot. So, a conversation with them will always be a learning point. I should confess that sometimes I have indulged in a few generic political discussions with them. Generic is the operative word in these conversations, oftentimes a passionate soliloquy at their behest.
But anytime anyone tells me they don’t like to talk. I disagree. Because, as humans, we all like to communicate. We talk. Because we want to share. Because we want to belong. Even if for a fleeting moment.
“You’re more likely to talk about nothing than something. But I just want to say that all this nothing has meant more to me than so many somethings”
Kathleen (You’ve Got Mail)
Just a little more 