April 10 – Needs

I was watching the morning news when they brought on a guy who was promoting conversation. This is National Week of Conversation. I didn’t know there was such a thing, but it’s not hard to figure out why. Everyone is aware that we are talking – really talking – to one another less than we used to. We send messages, via text, email, or social media, but we don’t actually talk. Not as much.

Kim and I have always enjoyed watching old movies, mostly for the witty conversation in many of them. we marvel at how good they seemed to be at it. They were clever and agile with their words. Clearly, they were well-practiced.

Before the days of video screens, there was a much greater need for conversation. Years ago, a film called The Dead, based on a James Joyce story, showed one evening in an Irish home among a gathering of friends. There was no Bose sound system blaring music. There was no big screen TV on in the background, nobody bending over their cell phones. It was eerily quiet – except for the conversation. They spent the evening telling stories, playing games, conversing. It was like watching aliens from another planet.

I still enjoy good conversation, but it seems like it’s harder for us to come by. We are busier with other things – other things that are actually easier than conversation.

Conversation has actually become harder for us, and one reason it is harder is the polarization we have reached. There are just too many conversational landmines out there.

But we need it, conversation, because we are human. And to be fully human we need to be in conversation with each other.

Photo: My kids can still manage witty conversation.