Last weekend, I realized that I have a problem with gossip. Why this happened last weekend is probably not important, but I will hit you with it anyways. I wsa hanging out with some friends in Anchorage, and they were talking about someone they know. Instead of examining the ins and outs of what each of them had heard, they left it at, "well, I have had some conversations with [insert name here], but I don't think it is appropriate to discuss it."
What?? I thought to myself. Why not go over every single word she said to figure out exactly what could possibly be going on in her situation? Oh, maybe that's the point....
Its a hard trap to avoid. It might be easier in a big city, where your social circle, work circle, neighborhood, and church family don't always cross, but here, its the same people every day. The conversation would go something like this:
Me: So... I inspected a navajo engine today...
Friend (who is a dispatcher): yeah I know. You kept asking me when parts were coming in. Then I had to close the door when you ran the engines, cause it was loud.
Me: yep.
Friend: Yep. So... I had flights delayed because of weather today...
Me: No kidding. I was waiting for parts.
Friend: Did you hear the bear got into [insert community member's name here]'s trash?
Me: Yeah, I heard they.... (conversation digresses to gossip about who burns their trash when)
Maybe its not all that bad. Parents can talk about their kids. And their are plenty of people I hang out with that don't work for the same company as me, but its pretty quick and easy to cover what is happening in the hangar, and what happened in their lives, before we move to talking about everyone else.
Here's where you come in. I want to start a list of great things to discuss that doesn't involve other people, the weather, or where the bear was last seen. We have all been friends long enough that we know favorite movies, books, food, desired super powers, and future plans. What do you talk about when you get together with your friends?
Dec 2
6 years ago
