Conversation

Rilke said, "A person isn't who they are during the last conversation you had with them - they're who they've been throughout your whole relationship."

I just had brunch at La Madeleine's with three old friends. Two of us have been friends for over 40 years, three of us have been friends for thirty-plus years, and one for a mere twenty years!

Over the years, we've gathered in cafes and talked about our lives, concerts, art, and books.  How stimulating it is to partake of what we've all learned since we last saw each other!

Marcus, my nine-year-old grandson and I have a date tonight to "have a conversation on the phone."  According to his mom's text, he's trying to improve his vocabulary and stop saying "crap" so much, and he wants to talk with me on the phone.  He's quite clear about the parameters: I'm not supposed to ask many questions, just listen!

David Whyte wrote: "A real conversation always contains an invitation. You are inviting another person to reveal herself or himself to you, to tell you who they are or what they want."

To my chagrin, I often go blank when I try to remember the plot of a particular novel.  But during the days and hours I'm inside the book--if it's really good--I feel I've been invited to the best kind of party, a party of two, just myself and the writer.  The plot may fade, but the quality of the conversation has an impact on all future conversations.