Conversation is a master life skill. Yet most of us give it little thought. We blunder along, thinking we are good at it, but my research does not support this conclusion. (My research consists
The family gathers. Okay,maybe, Aunt Tilly doesn’t show. Friends gather. Okay, at the last minute , Frank calls to say he’s bringing his girl friend, Mabel, but that’s fine, because she can take
So many conversations feel so rushed, comments crammed together like stuff piled into a closet. Rarely is there a moment’s pause to take in – I mean really take it in, as in
I had the most delicious, three-hour dinner this week with my great friend, L. The food was fine, but when I say “delicious,” I’m thinking about the conversation. Afterwards, I went home,
I had intended to listen for just a few minutes, but once I turned on the Senate hearings, there was no turning it off. The testimony of Christine Blasey Ford and
In recent weeks, I’ve had several people speak to me about the shifting quality of my conversation. Our son, who had been visiting with his family, in a passing comment at the top of the stairs, said, “I
Just when I thought the news couldn’t get any more absurd, it does; just when I thought the rhetoric designed to turn us all into cynics couldn’t get louder, it does; just when I thought the lies,
I’ve been thinking –beyond Mindful Writing– about the larger world of “Mindful Communication.” Prior to this blog entry, I’ve focused this blog on the magic and power of memoir. Writing my own memoir, as well
A would-be memoirist contacted me the other day. “I’ve been writing now for several months,” she said. “But I can’t get it going. Where should I start?’