A friend of mine and I were having a "catch up cup of coffee" a few weeks ago at the local patisserie (okay, THAT sounds very fancy and a little pretentious…). The subject of the teen-aged and young adult kids came up. They are all doing amazing things in one way or another. My boy and her youngest son have always had a connection and very similar interests. They are both artistic, insanely smart, hilarious…what they share in common is their love of writing stories, sharing anecdotes, creating artwork, movies, favorite books and then talking about it. You name it they will talk about it. And talk and talk and talk and talk and talk…and then they'll talk some more. I know that I have had my eyes glaze over just a teeny-tiny bit when the faboo ManBoy tells me about "the second chapter in his third book in his trilogy that is still being written". SO many ideas need to get out of that big brain. But sometimes, after 30-minutes in the car, I have to tell him to stop talking because my somewhat smaller brain cannot handle the epic amount of information he has told me. Write the book! I can't wait to read it! Seriously!
Anyway she said she had something to help remedy when our boys start to head to the Land of Blather (rare, but it happens) and she slid this card across the table to me, face down. I would like to point out that thankfully, I did not have any liquids in my mouth when I flipped the card over. The howling laughter that ensued nearly cleared the tables immediately around us. It was crying-laughing. I bought a box of these cards that day.
As hilarious and awesome as the cards are, and they are, there was a moment after I put them in my wallet, when I thought, "Hmmm, this could work really well as an awareness exercise." It's very easy for me to think that someone ELSE should STOP TALKING. But, can I be, am I, as aware when I am talking? At what point in my speaking or speechifying would someone else maybe, just maybe, want to slide that little card across a table to me? Could I use this little piece of paper to help me create an economy of words, be more aware and help me practice right speech better? I think the answer is yes. When I am in conversation, I would really like it to be doing that, conversing. Sharing ideas and thoughts and stories and emotions. Not just blathering. I'm going to keep this little card on me at all times…for both reasons.