I love the campaign at the moment titled
R U OK about having conversations that count.  But, do we notice the conversations that ‘don’t count.’  These conversations are the many and often automatic, like:

Good morning how are you?

How many times do we say this (of course change morning to afternoon or evening) and we are horrified when someone actually tells us!  I changed my greeting in recent times to just  “Good Morning” because I really didn’t want to hear how they were.

In yesterdays post I mentioned John Lennon’s quote about life getting in the way while you are making other plans, and I suppose part of that is other peoples problems getting in the way of my problems when mine are more important!

I am a great advocate of more ‘warriors’ and less ‘victims’ but maybe, some days, you are neither and just need to be validated for being alive.

I am already getting annoyed by the sound of this post as I am sounding like a ‘victim wannabe.’  What I really want to say is there is talking, communicating and connecting.

I am sick of so much talking.  Communicating has it’s place in passing on information for a variety of reasons.  But, what about connecting. What about creating and then maintaining that connection.  I don’t want to get into the realm of shit canning social media and the connected versus unconnected nature of todays electronic interactions.  What I want to do is get into the realm of not asking a question you don’t give a shit about the answer to.  I also want to get into the realm of having a conversation, that makes a connection that is valid.

I think I started this train of thought in Better Wife when I talked about treating someone not how you should be treated, or tolerate being treated, but, treating them in a way that is just for them.

I think this is applicable in every aspect of your life.  I think this is something that you have to think about all the time while life is getting in the way.  If it is just for them:

How do I treat the guy at the servo
How do I treat the telly marketer
How do I treat the bloke who just cut me off
How do I treat the boss
How do I treat people who may work for me
How do I treat the person who is really different to me

I suppose I can’t know how to ‘connect’ with some of these people as it is in these moments when I am in a hurry, I am angry, I am insecure, I don’t notice them, I am afraid, or worried, or scared… and those feelings many not even be about them.

I think I will make a big step.

I have my new greeting.

“Good morning (afternoon, evening), is there anything I can do for you.”