My Quiet Friend

Congratulations to my Quiet Friend, Cecelia Lester,  who won Katie Ganshert's Wildflowers from Winter novel. Congratulations, Cecelia!

Because I am a communicator--I refuse to say I'm loquacious--I lean towards quiet people. And I hope that I meet a need in their life as well. If I talk, I fill the sometimes uncomfortable silence.

Do you have a Quiet Friend? Or, are you the Quiet One?

Why Small Talk is a Big Deal

As I walked to make a delivery for the office supply store I manage, I met an acquaintance returning from lunch. Did I ask her what self-help book she was reading, how her marriage was progressing, or what new class she’d enrolled in to stretch her brain? No.  I wondered how she managed with such a small purse.

And. I learned about clutter, neck aches, and self-discipline. Better yet, I showed this lady that I cared about her choices, which added a dimension to our relationship.

I used to despise small talk. “Why would anyone want to stand in the parking lot of Junk Mart and blather for forty-five minutes about Jr’s basketball game, or the new cheesecake recipe Aunt Launa Lee brought to the family reunion? How shallow.”

As I matured, the Lord woke me from my dream world, where everyone talks about spiritual truths, scientific achievements, and the Nobel Peace Prize winner.  He revealed to me that solid, lasting relationships are built one drop at a time.
Sometimes it’s okay to not talk about major issues, if talking about minor subjects makes a person feel comfortable and appreciated. Then, as we get to know each other better, we open up to weightier matters.  

It’s not shallow. It’s just wading into the deeper waters a bit at a time, so we don’t suffer a cerebral overload the first ten minutes we meet someone.

So… what kind of purse do you carry? If you're a man, do you carry your wallet in your front or back pocket?