About Me

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Recent retiree--35 year's experience teaching reading, English, adult basic education and volunteer leadership skills. Started this blog to exchange ideas and commentary with friends and others having an interest in joining the discussions. Greatest life accomplishments include: 1.organized my 3rd grade class to check out library books for me to get around librarian's weekly limit--Amazon.com, the Mullins Elementary 3rd Grade Class of 1956 is still waiting for "thank you" notes; 2. volunteered in the Peace Corps, island of St. Kitts, West Indies; 3.taught adults to read, earn their GEDs., and speak English as a second language; 4. bought a border collie puppy for $6, got evicted rather than give him up, and began a life-long love affair with all things "Dog"; 5. joined a physical fitness boot camp in my mid-50s--don't mess with someone who's been doing regulation pushups in wet grass at 5:30 a.m.; 6. walked across Northern England with best friend Sally--over 80 miles from the Irish to North Seas; and 7. travelled to many foreign countries for pleasure and work.
Showing posts with label conversation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label conversation. Show all posts

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Can We Talk?

(Our host for this week's Fun Monday is Lisa over at Lisa's Chaos . And, what an opportunity she's given us with her assignment. We get to ask readers of our blogs the BIG QUESTION. Perfect! I've needed to know your answers to this question since last January when I started participating in Fun Mondays.)

My question to you: "Why do you blog?"

This sculpture by the Ha'Penny Bridge on Liffey Street in Dublin is the perfect illustration
for my answer to the question, "Why do you blog?" To quote a Dubliner, "the oul wans are havin' a chat" on a bench outside one of the city's landmark retail therapy spots, the Dublin Woollen Mills. The sculptor(unfortunately, couldn't identify the artist--can anyone help?) who created the piece called it "The Shoppers". However, like many other sculptures around the city, the irreverent Irish renamed it "the hags with the bags."

I found this sculpture by googling "good conversation". The main reason I blog is to have good conversations with longtime friends and new people from around the world who may want to share ideas, opinions and insights about everyday life. I have stories to tell and am also totally interested in your stories. I blog in hopes of having the good conversations that will help us learn about each other.

For a long time I've thought about conversations I have with friends and acquaintances. And, have been discontented, even sad at times, at the lack of depth and feeling in our communications. How do we get beyond the "So, what have you been up to lately?" I love knowing that about my friends, but after 20-30 years in each others' company, I want to know more about them and for them to know more about me. What are their childhood stories? What do they want out of life and are they getting there? What are their interests and passions? What troubles them? What makes them happy?

Look at the oul hags. Notice how relaxed and attentive they are, bodies turned toward each other so they can be totally present for that moment. Maybe they're speaking of family and friends, the latest Dublin political scandal, or the bargains they just got in the Woollen Mills. It doesn't matter. You just know that they're having a good conversation and that they'll be happy to meet up with their friend at the same time and place next week. That's why I blog--because I look forward to "havin' a chat" with you each week.

Now head over to Lisa's place and start answering those questions from Fun Monday inquiring minds. Hope I get there first before all the original answers are used up!