A little bit about conversation!

Last night’s event with Girl Talk on The Art of Conversation was a blast! It was incredibly fun to both share my presentation, but also hear the thoughts of those on the call. It was good to be with people I care about and share something with them.

When the video is ready, I will share it here. In the meantime: two points rose as being of high interest, and I suspect these are of interest to many people: listening, and exiting conversations one does not want to be a part of. They came up enough to make me think that listening needs its own workshop (noodling on it) and that I want to give more thought to the gracefully exiting an unwanted conversation matter.

Because what I designed was based on the act of two people who want to know each other conversing. Even if it is the first time you met. So you start small with basic questions and move on to bigger things, and la di da. Unwanted chat - being cornered at a party, listening to someone complain or brag, being asked “What do you do?” because this is DC after all - these are not conversations. But, yes, it is totally an okay thing to get out of a conversation you have no interest in.

Ultimately, what I stressed was respect and the need to recognize each conversation as an opportunity to truly meet another human being and enter into relationship with them. One guest, a young (probably Dominican) priest in Brooklyn - someone who talks to friends and strangers alike all the time as part of this job - made the point that the people we meet cannot be by accident, or random. That there is arguably a divine design to all our encounters, and in remembering that we recall that the person in front of us is sacred. He was exactly right.

If you’re hankerin’ to get in on some more Laura-teaching-classes action, my (virtual) email etiquette class is still coming up at General Assembly on May 19. Register here!

Looking forward to tomorrow

Last Sunday, Easter Sunday, I got together with the L’Arche community virtually. The question was posed: what are you looking forward to tomorrow? I thought this was a brilliant question. For one, because with the days all running together, it is sometimes easiest just to think about what is in the immediate future (to the extent that you know). It also calls you into gratitude in the present moment. Plus, I don’t know about you, but when I think about the things in the distant future I am looking forward to, the uncertainty of doing them causes sadness. When exactly will I be able to go to a lake, impulse buy a pair of earrings at TJ Maxx after work, grill on the rooftop, put my toes in the sand, pull my carry-on onto the plane, host a game night, hear Charles Clark (a core family member) play harmonica in person? So. Maybe looking forward to just tomorrow, and finding the blessing in it, is enough. I suppose it is a good skill to have, pandemic or no.

One thing I am looking forward to the day after tomorrow is my talk on The Art of Conversation, and I hope you will join in. No, this is not geared just toward the ladies - you taciturn dudes may enjoy it, too. I was reviewing my notes tonight, from the in-person talk I gave last fall. It will be fun and interesting to adapt this for a virtual platform, and to see hands “raised” to be called on, and so on. As always, I know I will not just be teaching and speaking, but learning myself, too.

Tuesday, April 21, at 7:30 pm. Register here!

The Art of Conversation - virtual!

Folks, we are going live and virtual next Tuesday, April 21 with a conversation on - the Art of Conversation.

My friend Julie Larkin, founder of Girl Talk, invited me to speak as part of their Coffeehouse Community series. You can definitely bring coffee with you, though this will be at night (I am very sensitive to caffeine and don’t drink coffee, anyway. I know, calm down).

This is the virtual version of a talk I have given before, which essentially boils down to: why is conversation important (because it is a sign of respect for the other person); what skills do I need (be interested and also be interesting); what can I do to get someone else to talk (nothing)?

A description:

Great conversation never goes out of style. As our world becomes increasingly digital (and we face the COVID-19 epidemic), the critical skill of holding a good conversation — speaking with interest, charm and clarity — becomes even more desirable. Whether in a job interview, on the train, at a party, or on a date, the ability to confidently converse face-to-face (or through the screen) is a true advantage.

This Zoom workshop will present the benefits of strong conversational skills, the basics of being present for the conversation at hand - both as the speaker and the listener and most importantly, how to genuinely enjoy life’s daily dialogues.

When: Tuesday, April 21, 7:30 pm eastern. Register here.