Hi. I'm the weekly conversationalist.
I've been wanting to start a blog for a long time - but always thought, "what can I write about that's actually meaningful? That someone couldn't figure out for themselves by conducting a Wikipedia search? That wouldn't be a diary of my life that would have readers rolling their eyes?"
One thing I know is that with all of the technology available today - the experience of how humans interact with one another has changed so drastically, that even my most personal relationships have been warped. To the point that my sister won't even ever talk to me on the phone. She'll text relentlessly. But if it comes down to a REAL LIVE conversation - forget it. I wonder if it's a lost art to actually be able to talk to someone. In real time. Not with the few minutes you get in between texts, e-mails, IM's - WHATEVER - to contemplate your next move. As if every conversation has to be as well thought out as a good game of chess.
I should mention that I'm at war with my own generation. I'm a 26-year-old living in New York. Where speed and convenience of communication are as valuable as the speed of traffic on the FDR Drive. Where I'll recieve well over 50 e-mails at my work in-box daily, but MAYBE one phone call. I guess it's easier to hide behind a monitor these days.
I should also mention that I'm a bit of a hypocrite - because for someone that would rather talk in person, I'm TERRIFIED of starting conversations with people I don't already know. Well, I'm terrified to do it here. I remember, a few years back, when I backpacked across Europe, anytime I met a fellow American that spoke English, we were instant friends. Talking about our lives back at home, what we were doing on our travels, etc. etc. etc.
So here's the idea - I'm going to put myself out there and start a conversation with a complete stranger once a week and blog about our chats. Hopefully this social experiment will be an interesting one!
Until next time,
The Weekly Conversationalist
I've been wanting to start a blog for a long time - but always thought, "what can I write about that's actually meaningful? That someone couldn't figure out for themselves by conducting a Wikipedia search? That wouldn't be a diary of my life that would have readers rolling their eyes?"
One thing I know is that with all of the technology available today - the experience of how humans interact with one another has changed so drastically, that even my most personal relationships have been warped. To the point that my sister won't even ever talk to me on the phone. She'll text relentlessly. But if it comes down to a REAL LIVE conversation - forget it. I wonder if it's a lost art to actually be able to talk to someone. In real time. Not with the few minutes you get in between texts, e-mails, IM's - WHATEVER - to contemplate your next move. As if every conversation has to be as well thought out as a good game of chess.
I should mention that I'm at war with my own generation. I'm a 26-year-old living in New York. Where speed and convenience of communication are as valuable as the speed of traffic on the FDR Drive. Where I'll recieve well over 50 e-mails at my work in-box daily, but MAYBE one phone call. I guess it's easier to hide behind a monitor these days.
I should also mention that I'm a bit of a hypocrite - because for someone that would rather talk in person, I'm TERRIFIED of starting conversations with people I don't already know. Well, I'm terrified to do it here. I remember, a few years back, when I backpacked across Europe, anytime I met a fellow American that spoke English, we were instant friends. Talking about our lives back at home, what we were doing on our travels, etc. etc. etc.
So here's the idea - I'm going to put myself out there and start a conversation with a complete stranger once a week and blog about our chats. Hopefully this social experiment will be an interesting one!
Until next time,
The Weekly Conversationalist
