The year of talking

     I've realized recently that I think I spend more time this year talking than ever before.  Not talking measured by the number of words that come out of my mouth, but having real honest-to-goodness conversations.  I talk in coffee shops, on park benches, in pubs, in classrooms, on walks, over meals, on skype, on gchat.  I've always loved talking with people and learning about their lives, and as my grandmother says, she sometimes feels like I am interviewing her when we have conversations because I ask question after question.  It's not because I'm nosy (well, maybe not ALL because I'm nosy)...but I really am interested in people.  I love hearing about families, and what people have done, and what they want to do in the future.  
     And this year, maybe because I don't have a television, or maybe because I'm in a new country, I feel like I've been having more conversations than ever.  It's made me think about how much I love learning about other people and what that means.  I have always, always loved learning about people and asking them questions from "so tell me about your wedding day 25 years ago" to "what did you have for dinner last night?".  A few weeks ago a friend was talking about someone in her family and I said "oh is that the person who did so and so...".. to which she responded "wow you have a great memory!"... but it's not that I have a great memory about everything.  I tend to have a bad memory actually for MOST things--I can never remember things I learn in museums or movies or historical facts or titles of books.  But if you tell me something about a family member or friend I will most likely remember it...because that's what interests me.  So in this year of talking I've thought about how I can consider this when looking for a job...how can I use my interest to help others, to make an impact, to learn about people and to continue talking .