I like to talk to people and I think people like to talk to me.  Not bragging, exactly. It just seems to be true.  It happens with people who come to the house to do work, like cleaning my furnace,  grooming my dogs, or washing my windows.  It also happens when I’m out getting my teeth cleaned or going to the store.  It used to happen when I was working full-time. I’d have the occasional person just come into my office, sit down, and unburden themselves. 

                  I can’t explain why it happens, but I do enjoy it.  Being retired now, I have lots of time to slow down and listen to the stories all around me. And it’s easy to be a good listener. You just have to shut up.

                  You learn a lot by listening to people.  You can tell what’s important to them, hear about their journeys through life, discover the small moments that mean the most to them.

                  You never know what someone else is going through, it’s very true. But if you pay attention, you might find out.

                  Like Marco, the furnace guy who told me his employment history.  He worked for two local companies who were eventually taken over by big corporations.  He had risen quite high in the local company, but when it was taken over, he felt lost in the corporate world and moved on.  He is again working for a family-owned business, is excellent at his work, and more importantly, feels valued and happy.  Good for him.

                  Then there was the window washer who used to work for a pest control company. Just a casual conversation unlocked his wealth of knowledge about how to take care of camel crickets (don’t ask), carpenter ants, and mice around the home.  I made of list of his suggestions and ordered away.  You just never know what someone knows, until  a random comment unlocks a world of knowledge and you probe for more information. This was a real bonus for me—clean windows and pest removal info in one fell swoop!

                  And my dear dental hygienist, a lovely woman from Poland who told me a bit about her son who is fascinated by old cemeteries and how much harder life was for her parents.  She has her hands in my mouth during these conversations, so my contributions to the talk are limited, but I do enjoy hearing her stories.

                  This is how we create communities—by telling our stories to each other and learning where we have been and what we have done and what we value most.  Our families are full of stories, many sure to be told and retold around our holiday tables.  These stories are the connective tissue of our families and friends—the tales that bind us together.

                  As author Phillip Pullman has written, “After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.” Couldn’t agree more.