On Conversation

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SummerForest

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Conversation.
As I looked up the word in the dictionary the follwing meaning surfaced:
"a talk, especially an informal one, between two or more people, in which news and ideas are exchanged."
Now that sounds quite a big deal! Doesn't it?
What news and what ideas are supposed to make a good conversation, then?
Surely it is not news like "It is raining today" or idea like "I'm sooo magnificent!" which will make a great conversation!
Let me share with you one of my personal experiences of a memorable conversation.
It was during an orientation programme related to women and child right issues where participants from both public and private sector took part.
It was a four-day residential programme organized by our State Government.
The last day was actually reserved for feedback and thanksgiving sessions.
On the previous evening we had an early dinner and then sat chatting in the first-floor lobby. During these three days we had already made acquaintances among us.
At around 11 p.m. I discovered that I happened to be sitting with two other people, chatting quite energetically while all other participants had already retired to their rooms!
One of these people was a not-so-young doctor from a public-meets-private sector collaboration while the other one was a young girl from an NGO.
The three of us were from different socio-professional backgrounds and were virtually unknown to each other.
Yet, we continued our animated conversation. Different issues were raised and discussed heatedly and experiences were shared.
I remember the doctor talking about his experiences as a medico-legal advisor and advocating changes required in laws regarding rape. I was quite surprised to see a man so earnestly speaking for women's rights.
The girl described her hilariousy romantic(?) encounter with a Block Development Officer at a far-from-modern-civilization area. I supposed this young BDO was dying of boredom and fell head-over-heels for such an attractive girl!
We talked and talked through the long winter night.
At around 3 a.m. we realized that we were ravenously hungry!
What was to be done now?
The girl remembered that she had a packet of biscuits in her bag. But the bag was in her room and her roommate was probably into deep sleep by then!
Luckily, we had our keys with us.
So she went to her room and brought this packet of bisciuts.
Now the packet was crunchy and the biscuits were crunchier! So we had to be careful not to make much noise so that the security guards did not come running from downstairs!
We giggled and opened the packet and ate the biscuits.
Then we stealthily went to the seminar room and wrote a surprise message at the white board there (it was the doctor's idea of a mischief!).
At around 4 a.m. we reluctantly broke our conversation and retired to our rooms to catch some fleeting sleep.
Now even after so many years I look back at that night and can't help but smile!
It was indeed a memorable conversation.

You, Flamer, villainess and 3 others like this.

Comments

    1. SummerForest Nov 30, 2018
      @Silver Snake, it's a lot! Took me some time and a meal to process it. And you are right! Our existence is made of our memories. The more years we live the more memories we gather.
      That is the only meaning of ageing!
    2. Silver Snake Nov 30, 2018
      You could have, at least, waited for me to check out that book. As energetic as always I see. Currently I think a good conversation requires different and accepting views as well as energetic and willing partipants.

      Words are alive and by sharing them we become more alive. How are words alive? Within them are ideas and stories. Ideas can happen because of stories. The not-so-young doctor may have felt that way because of someone he knew. And stories can happen because of ideas. You already stated the likely idea behind that girl's story. The more stories and ideas we have heard the more knowledge we amass. And what are we but our memories?
      TwilightForest likes this.
    3. SummerForest Nov 30, 2018