The Art Of Conversation

Nothing strikes fear into Mankind like the words, 'We need to talk'. Admittedly there are scarier phrases, based on my experience anyway. 'Let's catch up over coffee' = potential nightmare scenario. In this day and age, communication is king. There are so many ways to reach out to a loved one, or in some cases an unloved one - 'social' media allows us to keep friendships prospering across vast oceans and continents, and often suburbs. Meeting up with group of friends only to realise you have nothing to talk about because, oh yeah, I saw it on Facebook - it happens. Even a potential mate can be sourced with the right amount of good 'chat' on an app and a little clever online stalking research. So why is it so hard to take the leap and confess, 'We need to talk'...? 

We need to talk...about the weekend. 

In Your Head: OMG, WHAT DID I DO/SAY/FORGET/DRINK?

It was GREAT! Soooo relaxing sitting in the sun by the pool, almost finished my book, maybe should have been more liberal with the sun screen, but that's what Sundays are for, amirite? Good times. 

OH, SILLY. NOTHING TO SEE HERE. WHY WAS I WORRIED?

We need to talk...about your hair. 

I'M LOVING MY NEW FRINGE!

You might want to rethink the bangs. Just sayin'. 

SADFACE. I KNOW - I HATE IT TOO. 

We need to talk...about Kevin. 

UM...?

A powerful movie starring Tilda Swinton. Haven't seen it. Though highly recommended it in my tenure as a video store clerk. 

Also handy if you have someone in your life called 'Kevin' and you need to talk about them. 

NOTED.

We need to talk...about (insert title of latest TV series you've just binge watched and MUST recommend to everyone you know, despite the fact their eyes glaze over because they know you'll eventually end up musing once again on the notion that you just really, really love Midsomer Murders).

YES, YES, MIDSOMER MURDERS, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.

We need to talk...about us.

There it is.

For those emotional over-sharers out there (also known as the darling sweethearts of the it'll-be-ok-even-though-it-seems-super-tough-right-now brigade), there are some of you that feel the need to talk it out. And fair enough too. Often times it comes down to the idea that 'whatever you have to say back to me isn't half as bad as what I'm imagining in my head, and at least I'll know where I stand'. For those who need some time to process what they want, that's perfectly fine. You can have all the time in the world. You fall into the category of 'I know you and I know you need some space and I've got your back with whatever is going on right now but I'm here so lean on me because that's what it's all about'. Up to a point, I guess. Beware the side effect that is the power of radio silence = pure torture. This can lead to those who like to keep things on a seemingly endless need-to-know basis, with everything at arm's length. Well, this is frankly frustrating, and will possibly end up doing more harm than good. No one likes to be the mushroom, so communicating doesn't have to be terrifying or terribly earth shattering, it just shines a little light on the situation.

A problem shared is a problem aired. And if it gets some air, there's more a chance you'll be less of a wet towel about it, whatever it may be.
Talking can only lead to good things, even if the talking happens to result in bad news at first glance. 

Mostly the sky doesn't immediately fall, and if it is indeed bad-ish news, give it a week and Bob's your transgender Auntie.

So let's talk...it's not scary, I promise.

images via: thelipstickbubble, ameliastrauss, jamienelson, athestyleguide, harpersbazaar, & thegraphicsfairy

The Time Is Mightier Than The Bored

Timing is .....

This time of year it's supposed to be all about new beginnings and fresh starts and making the most of the new page in our book and dreaming bigger and making the right choices and working out more regularly and eating better after the silly season indulgence and saving money and putting our heads down and getting back into work mode and planning for the year ahead. And, yes, ideally all these things are happening simultaneously, in harmony and prioritised accordingly. Frankly, it sounds like a lot of hard work, but that's life. Life is hard work. Sometimes. Sometimes especially if your timing is off.

This week, a percentage of Australian iPhone consumers and Optus bill payers were subjected to a suspected glitch in the matrix labeled 'the great curse of the modern network age' - extra time. Time that was no doubt then spent on the network itself to determine what the problem was, gauging how many other people were affected, how soon it would be fixed, what the real consequences of their day were, and to see if something that actually happened to them became a #trending topic. It was - and now their timing was off.

That's the thing about time. It heals all wounds, it is of the essence, there's no time like the present and yet we always seem to be running out of it. We're in an epidemic of trying to stop the ravages of time on our bodies with surgery, striving to design ways to buy back time with technology, and now in 2015 we're living in the penultimate year of Back to the Future-ness and yet we're still hoverboard-less. It sounds to me like 'daylight saving', when taken literally, is the way to put real hours in the bank, save them for a rainy day, and get to do what you really want to do with your time.

(SIGH) This, of course, is a really long way around to saying, right now, I have a lot of time on my hands. (AHHH - 'hands' are on a clock - time is EVERYwhere!!) One of the favourite things I have ever heard another human being say is, 'it's all swings and roundabouts'. This was, of course, offered in a discussion about relationships. And I say 'of course', because romantic comedies have ruined me for life and somehow that topic seems to take up a lot of my time. But, you guessed it - that's for another time...

So, swings and roundabouts. What goes around, comes around. You take a little on the nose now, and the reward is in the pudding. Or some such thing. And that's all about timing.

I actually have, if it's not too bold a thing for me to declare (clearly it is, but, look out, I'm doing it anyway - no time like the present...I digress) is that I have excellent timing. Wait. You're probably reading that wrong. What I meant to have you read was excellent comic timing. Which is lucky, because everything else going on right now seems like a bit of a joke. To someone. With an lousy sense of humour. And probably too much time on their hands. But my real-life timing has been off since probably around 1999. That's right - last century (just).

In order to take up the final moments of your time (and in case you skimmed to the bottom of this page to save time), I leave you to continue being very busy and important (as am I) with a couple of things (that shouldn't take up too much more of your precious time):

Time is of the (vanilla) essence.

There's no time like the (birthday) present.

And lastly - a over simplified thought for the day:

Life can be summarised as just having the ability to show up on time. The rest appears to be organised chaos, and a lot of Googling to see if you're doing it right. And, if there happens to be another glitch in the matrix and you find that you have an extra hour in your day, do try to get that hoverboard situation under control. 

It's time.

(refer to the top of this post)... Everything

images via : sunrisewatches.com, reykjavikboulevard, chasseurmagazine, reecemorgan, tested.com, & heathertiger

In Defence Of The Cry Baby

I have a confession to make. 

I cried today.

Sometimes I cry because I am happy. And, yes - sometimes I cry because I am a little bit sad.

On some occasions, I have been flat-out asked not to cry. Sometimes I am met with the warmth of a hug and another's tears on my shoulder, safe in the knowledge that it's okay to cry. Sometimes.

Sometimes tears strike a certain fear in a person, whether they don't understand the reasons for the emotional outpouring via the eye sockets or simply don't know what to do about it when faced with involuntary eye sweating. They might want to do something to help, but are afraid they caused the episode or can't make it go away.  

But then they are not me, as this fear would sure enough bring me to tears.

Some think crying shows signs of weakness. Here however, I offer a counter view.

If it is in fact rivers of tears flowing down ones's face, then perhaps we can think on them as we think of the beautiful force of nature like the Nile. Or the Amazon. Or the forces that have flowed through the Snowy Mountains scheme over the years. And that's all about power. The energy created through these hugely powerful forces of water that bring and sustain life, ecosystems and recreational activities, and joy, and breath-taking beauty.

It is a release. Many have uttered over the years"better out than in" in regards to many bodily functions 

(I apologise for bringing the tone down,
and while the temptation is here to prompt you to ask the person next to you to 'pull my finger',
I shall refrain), 

but sometimes it is just an expression of the inner cyclone that takes over in a moment of weakness, well, the moment.

Suffice to say, I'm all for a good cry.

But, with respect, reccommend aiming higher if you're looking for a hobby.

images via : bpstainton, sammenomskammen fromtumbeyonceknowles, cargocollective, thentmblog, & pokec