listening

i'm a story teller

and by story teller I don't mean "liar, embellisher, etc.." (although, who hasn't embellished a story once and a while...)

i love making people laugh

i love telling stories with dramatic pauses and voices

i have a good memory for the details

i like to tell the story in it's full completion

i think this likely started because I have always wanted to be funny

and quite frankly, i know that I'm not always funny!

growing up, my brother was the funny one

he always had a good joke or story

and i think he was my inspiration

this last year, a friend of mine told me that she thought I was the best story teller ever

i was flattered, and surprised quite honestly

i know that i LOVE telling the stories

but it was cool to hear someone say that they look forward to hearing them

so, not to be proud or arrogant

but rather.. acknowledge something i'm good at...

i am a good story teller

which brings me to the real thought behind my post...

i believe that part of being a good story teller is also being a good listener

none wants to hear someone else talk constantly

so you listen, interact, be in CONVERSATION and then the stories can come out when appropriate

and, in the last month, i have encountered 2 instances of terrible listening

one happened this morning

i was in conversation with someone, and he was telling me something. what he said reminded me of a similar story, so i go into it, telling him all the details. and he looks like he's listening. a few minutes later he looks at me and says "ya.. i didn't listen to a word you just said, i'm wrapped up in a thought, so I missed that whole thing"

it caught me a bit off guard! but i just kinda laughed

then, i thought he'd ask to hear the rest but instead

he turned and walked out

it was a bizarre moment

the other one was a similar instance, but they asked me to repeat it later on

listening.. i would say that is a more important skill than story telling

am i a good listener?? doesn't hurt to pay attention to my listening skills once & a while

(right now my listening skills are being challenged.. michael has been watching a lot of the military channel lately.. and there is only so much talk about war and weapons until i am totally zoned out...)

speaking of zoning out.. it's almost time for tonights episode of big brother. (one of...) my summer guilty pleasures. i may even watch it while eating a piece of sea salt dark chocolate. terribly tasty.