Saturday, February 7, 2009

One Random Thing


I've read so many people's list of "25 Random Things" on Facebook lately. This is my 325th post on this blog. So I guess this is 1 of 325 random things.

So, speaking of Facebook- I actually do think it's pretty cool. It's an easy, personal, but yet not-too-personal way to catch up with old friends or acquaintances and to keep (sort of) in touch with some people I might otherwise not. I've recently been corresponding with someone who was my friend in high school, but that I lost touch with years ago. As we've emailed back and forth a few times, I've noticed, he tells me about himself and then I respond, then ask him another question, then he tells me more about himself. I got his 2nd or 3rd email of the low down about him and his life and realized he hadn't asked anything about me, my life, or anyone in it.

This is my random observation, and now opinion, for the day. It drives me crazy when people talk (or in this case, write) only about themselves and their own life. Sometimes it happens at a party- I'll have a conversation with someone, ask them questions about their life and listen to their answers. I walk away knowing a whole lot about them, and realize they really don't know a thing about me.

I ask questions of people because I am interested. And because I want to connect. But once I realize the connection interest is so one-sided, I become very annoyed.

As of today, I realize that particular email correspondence with the old high school friend is over. I've asked all of my interview questions and gotten all the answers I was looking for. Only I had intended for it to be a conversation, but instead, it became an interview.

Perhaps this is why that particular friend and I lost touch all those years ago...

1 comment:

Valerie said...

My sister and I were just talking about this last week. We met a young lady at a party, and we know all about how she and her husband met, where they're from, that they're trying to have another baby, etc. She didn't ask one thing about us. I also noticed that another mom asked how old her toddler is, she went into a whole thing about her kid, without ever asking, "and what about you, how old is yours?" Some people are just so self-absorbed.