Nice things. Significant things.

Maybe I leave some people aghast. Flabbergasted.  If so, that’s fine. After all, my aim is to startle people. To catch their attention. But almost always in nice ways. Meeting a stranger. For the first time. And instantly starting a discussion. About philosophy. About life. About the concept of love. Yes, my form of small talk.  Not about how are you or the weather or other inconsequential stuff.  Amazing. The responses. My kind of people get into the flow. Almost immediately.  They reveal significant information. About themselves. True. Some don’t seem to know how to react.  Some are curious. Intrigued. By my unorthodox approach. To making interesting conversation. Right off the bat. Maybe my introductory comment is, ‘You look Syrian. Give me a clue. What’s your surname?’  No reason to waste time. Getting to the basics. In the first five minutes, I’m likely to pull out my printed business card. Announcing that I’m a romantic idealist, a spiritual free-thinker, a political liberal, a lover, a dreamer.  They have my postal mail address, my email address, my phone number, and ready access to my blog. When we depart, maybe they know more about me than I know about them. But don’t bet on it. Generally, I know plenty. Nice things. Significant things. –Jim Broede