A Predictable Conversation...........

We all communicate with people we love to talk, people we don’t care if we talk to or not, and those we dread talking to.

The ones we love to talk with is a no-brainer….usually we have something in common with them….they can converse on a wide range of topics…..they have a little bit of knowledge about a lot of things…..share ideas….and they listen to what you have to say. It’s a great exchange of information.

The ones we don’t care if we talk to or not….well…..they are usually good to pass some time with if there is no other alternative available. But, sooner or later your conversations will have run the gamut of common interests….you’ll search your mind for other topics…try and keep it going…..it becomes work. These are the people you only want to have short conversations with. You find yourself hoping others will sit at the bar so you have an excuse to slip away.

Thennnnnn……there is the third group…….they say the same thing every time you see them. There is very little variance in this informational exchange, which is pretty much one-sided. You can easily predict what they talk will about….they will have the same complaints about everything they had the last time you had to endure their tiresome monologue. They are not interested in anything you may have to contribute, they just want to whine. And, as one of Murphy’s Laws would have it, they are usually the only one sitting at the bar. There is no one to sucker into taking over the conversation from your end. It seems that no one else sits at the bar and comes to your rescue, until they are about to leave. Since you’ve heard it all before, your mind starts to wander…..what if I had a gun with one bullet? Would I shoot them? Would I just shoot myself? If I shot them, I’m not sure they would even notice. Maybe I could just shoot myself in the foot, thus making it necessary to immediately seek first aid.

Oh c’mon! You know what I’m talking about…we’ve all run into these people….especially if you’ve spent any time standing behind a bar. So my question is, “Is a predictable conversation really worth having at all?”