Slow Conversation
Having a conversation isn't the same as having a talk. Talk involves exchanging specific information, instructions, explanations -- and the faster it gets to the point, the better. "Conversation has a different purpose," says essayist Stephen Miller, author of Conversation: A History of a Declining Art. "It's not about what somebody wants done or needs to know. It doesn't have to be direct -- it can circle around, digress. The point is for two people to connect."
We've all experienced the joy of slow conversation -- the marathon coffee klatch with a friend we've known since childhood, the getting-to-know-you whispers of early love. It's easy to let it fall by the wayside in the rush of daily life, but without it, friendship -- even marriage -- can begin to wither. Bringing true conversation back into your life means making time and space for it. You can't have a slow conversation by e-mail; the phone's an option only when distance is a factor. The best opportunity for real conversation is when two people are physically together, with no time limit and no cell phones in sight. It could be a three-hour dinner with a friend or a long car trip with a spouse; in the fullness of that kind of unstructured time talks can meander among memories of the past, plans for the future and everything in between. "That's when you get the full palette of interaction -- gesture, tone, facial expression, even shared silence," says Miller. "You go away feeling completely connected."
By Carol Mithers, The Benefits of Slowing Down
Elgondolkodtató Carol Mithers írása, érdemes megvitatni is, sőt, tanfolyamunkon megpróbálhatunk Carol javaslatai szerint beszélgetni. Ha szívesen kipróbálná, jelentkezzen!
