A Nice Big Bowl of Conversation

-A Nice Big Bowl of Conversation

When we are children we are taught many things when it comes to the art of conversation. If you don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say anything at all. Only speak if spoken to first. Kind words will lead you to kind people. And, on the rare occasion we were actually suppose to say something, say it loud and say it proud. That’s not even including the things we have to discover for ourselves; such as speaking with poise, eloquence, tact, diction and comedic timing. Apparently it is a lot more then simply learning our vowels and how to make things plural. Learning the right way to speak is almost as hard as learning another language all together. So I guess it makes sense that a lot of the time we never really say what is on our minds. Sure, we all have the perfect comeback, that lasting one-liner, the final word to end the argument, but most of the time we hold back; not wanting to hear what would happen if we spoke our peace.
Maybe we hold back because peace is not always the outcome when we use ours words. Sometimes opening our mouths is a lot like opening Pandora’s Box. We thought we had to do it because keeping it closed would have been a let down, it would have been something to regret later; we had to open it up because the temptation and curiosity was too great. Well, curiosity killed the cat and maybe that is why it wasn’t there to hold our tongue. It can be hard to decipher when to speak up and when to shut up. When it comes to conversations, especially ones in relationships, there is no recipe to turn to. Although there are a lot of similarities between cooking and talking, this might be why Italians like to do both very often.
Good conversation is a lot like good cuisine; preparation is required, patience is needed, there might need to be some time to cool off before enjoying and it all tastes better when made from the heart. If there is something that needs to be discussed or you feel should be brought up the first thing you should do is think it through, don’t rush into it. Consider all the ingredients needed. How many cups of understanding will you need, how many tablespoons of wisdom should be added, is your sensibility fresh and check to make sure your sarcasm hasn’t gone bad. Make sure all the temperatures are correct; don’t get too heated, don’t let things boil over and watch out for burns. You might want to let everything cool a bit before you try to present it. After you have prepared everything and let it cool, now you must try to serve it up nicely. You should remember that things can get messy, spills might occur, the wrong utensil might be used and that there could be a funny taste in your mouth afterwards. Sometimes what you have to say is not easy for the other person to swallow. Sure you could just sugar coat everything and make it go down easy, but even too much sugar will make you throw up.
There comes a time when you are dating someone when you have to decide to speak up or shut up, knowing full well that both options could lead to a break up. My theory is that if you have felt the others person tongue, you shouldn’t have to hold yours. You should be able to bring up any topic and know that it could be discussed, even if that means things might get uncomfortable or be a little awkward. Not every conversation had in a relationship is going to be a delicious Merlot; sometimes it’ll sting more like a shot of Vodka. But you should be able to talk to someone you love about anything, and if they don’t feel the same way maybe it’s time you order something new. The point is you should try to eat, drink and be merry; life gives us plenty to consume when we are in or out of a relationship. So grab a plate and dig into it.