Why I Love Conversation

Introduction

Yesterday I spent about six hours on trains and had forgotten my Kindle so couldn't play Backgammon, or read one of the hundreds of books on there (though I could have read them on my phone, but I find reading books on a phone a bit of a bind after a few pages) so I had a lot of time to think about the various forms of one-to-one communications we have and how some are more appropriate than others depending on the circumstances.

I was going to use "Communication" by Spandau Ballet but then remembered one of my favourite riffs "Communication Breakdown" by Led Zeppelin because communicating in the wrong way in certain circumstances can lead to exactly that.

Incidentally, Led Zeppelin's name came about when Keith Moon (the drummer with The Who) told Jimmy Page that his new band, the New Yardbirds, would go down like a Lead Zeppelin. The band loved that name and dropped the "a" to ensure the pronunciation was LED and not LEED.

Why I Love Conversation

I love just talking especially with friends, because I love that most of the time that you don't know what is going to come out of it. What this means that often conversations can go one for a very long time with absolutely no agenda and usually you do not want the conversation to end but other things come into play and you finish off making plans for the next time this is going to happen.

Yesterday I met my friend Nicola for the first time since the seventies. She was on a short lunch break so we were on a timer, I drank Guinness Zero and she drank cranberry juice at the Ship and Giggles, a pub where I once cleared a pool table (the only time I ever did it).

She told me she felt guilty that I lent her a record in the seventies and that someone borrowed it from her. So when she knew we were meeting she went to Action Records and bought me the two singles below in recompense. There was no need and we talked about where we were up to and found out she was working and the place where i was first employed as an office clerk.

This is the joy of good conversation, you never know what is going to come up.

Nest up was meeting sister Yvonne and my mate Mick at 1842, a bar/restaurant situated in the old Corn Exchange/Public Hall where I first performed with my school choir and saw my first gig, Uriah Heep on the Demons and Wizards Tour. This is me wearing it on Hadrian's Wall (a bit firther north)

Again the conversation was unplanned and we talked about how things had chamged and enjoyed drinks and excellent food and decided it was so good that we have made plans for another get together next month.

The fact that all this conversation was unplanned meant that it could go on for a long time. I think it's best if it is in groups of three or four, or one-to-one that means that people don't get left out and say what they want to contribute.

I love phone calls with friends and they can go on for a long time and often, out of them, I gain inspiration and ideas for my writing, and it's almost like I do need conversation to be able to write and put together my creations. I love it when people give me suggestions and ideas because it makes me feel as if they are part of my creations.

The Work Exception

Sometimes at work, people will try and set me a task. I always tell them to send me an email, because then I can ensure that they get what they want. Sometimes they get a bit upset because I won't "just do it" but I tell them I want to ensure it is done correctly. The other side of it is that you have proof of the requirement if anything goes off the road.

Conclusion

I love the freedom of spontaneous conversation, but there are times when a written record is required to make sure everything is done correctly.

Thank you so much for reading this and I hope you have got one or two ideas.