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Friday, February 18, 2011

Who Do You Talk To


Did I talk to strangers when I was a young girl and parents didn’t have to be so worried about predators? Did my Mom tell me not to talk to strangers, or did I learn to be friendly from her? I can slip into a conversation with just about anyone. I look at “strangers” as potential friends I just need to get to know.

Last night my teenage daughter thought there was someone upstairs with me because she heard me talking. When I came back down and she asked me who I was talking to, I replied, “the goldfish”! Yep, as I was feeding my friend’s fish his flakes I talked to him just like I used to talk to my dog & cat. Since I’m living away from my pets I’m making local animal friends. Besides the goldfish, I talk to the Seagulls that line the bridge to Raft Island, and the neighbor’s mule and horse too. I made up names for them but I saw the owner and she told me Donovan the donkey is really Stuart, and Harold the horse is a female named Sammy. This whole naming thing started back in high school when we named our cars Rita Riviera and Bertha Barracuda.

Part of my desire to chat comes from the fact that I just need to get some words out. Wasn’t there a study done that said women say three times as many words per day than men?-an average of 20,000 words per day? When I was new in Illinois and didn’t really have friends to talk to I became acquainted with the woman at the dry cleaner counter, and some of the local store owners. I was a bit concerned after I got into a long conversation with the Starbucks barista at the grocery store in Wheaton. Was I so desperate that I’d talk to anyone? I remember my sister-in-law telling me she didn’t know anyone in her new town except her Starbucks girl…

A couple weeks ago I got into a conversation with a cute young woman at Target. Before I knew it she was giving me her card and we were planning a Mary Kay get-together. Another new friend!

When I’m taking care of little ones I talk to them because that is how they develop a strong vocabulary. Having been an early childhood teacher and mom of four, I am used to a running narrative. Perhaps I should have chosen communications as my major. I can picture myself as the next Meredith Vierira interviewing guests on the Today Show. I would probably be fired though, since I’d ask all the guests about their faith and if they knew Jesus.

I talk to myself on occasion-usually when I’ve done something stupid!All day long I have a running conversation with God in my head. Sometimes when I’m alone I’ll talk out loud to Him. And then I stop talking so I can LISTEN...

I will probably continue to start up conversations with women and young moms. God has given me a desire to hear their stories and be an encourager. At times I can just tell that someone is lonely or needs someone to listen. I’m thankful God can use me to try and brighten someone’s day with a kind word.
Do you talk to yourself?

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.". 1Thessalonians 5:11

Do you talk to yourself?
Do you talk to store clerks?
Do you talk to babies and animals?
Do you talk to “strangers?”

"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it."
Hebrews 13:2

In His Grip, Jane

I have so many Seagulls to name...

1 comment:

  1. Jane!
    Its Laura, Allie's roommate :-) Al just shared your blog with me and I love it! I talk to animals and random strangers too ha. Thanks for sharing your thoughts :-)
    Love, Laura

    ReplyDelete