Episode summary introduction:

Enjoy this episode and we jump into the intricate dynamics of small talk and its significance in fostering human connection.  We journey through this topic to explore the notion that small talk serves as a vital icebreaker, facilitating initial interactions that can lead to deeper relationships. As we reflect on our experiences emphasis is made that engaging in small talk is a learned skill requiring practice and confidence. We invite our listeners to join us on this journey of understanding the subtleties of conversation, as we collectively navigate the art of connection in our daily lives.

Electronic Walkabout’s thought of the day:

“The road to trust will have many footballs.” Inspired by Charlie Brown.

Topics discussed in this episode:

Small talk is far from trivial; it is, in fact, a nuanced art form that requires practice, sincerity, and a willingness to engage. We discuss the psychological underpinnings of why individuals often struggle with initiating conversation, particularly introverts who may find the prospect daunting. 

TC & Maddog share their own experiences in the world of small talk to illustrate that small talk can be learned and refined over time, transforming it from a source of anxiety into a tool for effective communication. This includes the importance of listening as a foundational skill in small talk, advocating for a balance between speaking and listening to ensure a reciprocal exchange that enriches both parties involved. 

Important when engaging in small talk is the role of humor in small talk, exploring how it can serve as an effective icebreaker and a means of creating a comfortable atmosphere. We share instances where humor has successfully transformed an awkward situation into a lighthearted exchange, thereby fostering a connection between individuals.

Our discussion culminates in a call to action for listeners, encouraging them to embrace small talk as an opportunity for engagement and connection, reminding them that every conversation holds the potential for deeper understanding and relationship-building.

Walkabout takeaways:

• The podcast emphasizes that no individual should navigate through life in solitude, highlighting the importance of companionship and support.
• We elucidate the significance of sharing experiences during both joyous and challenging moments in our lives.
• It is asserted that everyone occasionally requires guidance and direction to traverse life's complexities effectively.
• The conversation revolves around the intricacies and nuances of small talk, emphasizing its role as an essential social skill.
• The speakers recount personal anecdotes to illustrate the dynamics of initiating conversations in various social settings.
• Sincerity and active listening are underscored as pivotal components in fostering meaningful connections through small talk.

More about E-Walkabout:

To learn more about Electronic Walkabout visit us at   www.ewalkabout.ca.

If you want to read more “Thoughts of the Day” check out TC’s Book at Amazon:

“St. Mike's Fortunes”

A special thanks to Steven Kelly, our technical advisor, who keeps trying to teach these old dogs new tricks when it comes to sounds and recording!!

“Remember to take advantage of the moment before the moment takes advantage of you!”

Electronic Walkabout. No one should have to walk through life alone. We share the good times, the bad times, and the best times.

Everyone needs a little direction now and again. And TC and Maddog are here to show you the way.

A podcast where we talk about the important things in life. Come journey with us. The electronic Walkabout.

Well, good afternoon, Maddog. How's your day going today?

Another bright, sunny. Oh, no, wait. Another rainy day here in B.C. other than that, doing great.

Rainy day. That is the winter in the Laura mainland. Right.

With snow.

We find ourselves in the studio again to continue to talk about the important things in life. The important thing that we're going to talk about today's strangely small talk.

And, you know, when I was kind of putting things together, I thought about you and small talk and how that might actually be a part of your profession.

It is a learned skill, to be honest. It doesn't come easy. But you kind of have to work on it to make it effective, and.

You just hit the nail on the head. That's what we want to talk about. I mean, you.

You see these people that are able just to go up to anybody, have the gift of the gab and with a blink of an eye to start that conversation. And you want, why? Why can't I do that?

Takes a little bit of confidence in bravado for sure.

Confidence and bravado. Well, join us as we share our own experience in the Arabic small talk. But first, as always, a thought for the day.

The road to trust will have many footballs inspired by Charlie Brown. Do I need to explain?

No, not at all. But I love these. They're like zingers. They catch me off guard and they're always good and appropriate.

Just going to throw it out there just to start it. What is the point of small talk? And why do we even go down that road? Like, what's that all about?

I think a little bit of is just used as an icebreaker, to your point. Sometimes it's. You run into somebody or you're in a situation and it's awkward and weird to try and figure out, what do I say here?

What do I talk about? So, yeah, I think just to either just to instigate a conversation or to just really make that initial connection with somebody.

I think that's kind of.

Oh, okay. So let's. Let's kind of take it from two perspectives.

Someone that you actually know and you still engaged in the small talk, but it's actually much more comfortable. Yeah, okay. Complete stranger.

That one's challenging that you gotta. Yeah, you're picking off environmental, like, where you are situationally.

Like if you're, you know, waiting extra long in the lineup for something, there's just. There's always something anecdotally you can say just to kind of start things off.

And it's happened to me a couple times where I've done that and, you know, 25 minutes later I'm like, I shouldn't have said a thing. So I was just trying to be polite and, you know, make small talk. But.

But yeah, you know, sometimes it's just that opening that people need to say, oh, okay, this person's good to talk to me, and then just carry on.

So is that. Is that example kind of like that old saying, you know, I asked someone what time it was and they taught me how to build a watch.

Yeah, yeah, that's exactly it. Because somebody's just lonely in the day and you open up those doors, you just better be prepared for it.

And just a question of how some may sit and engage and others. Well. Well, yeah. Thanks for sharing. Have a nice day.

Exactly.

And I would imagine too, like, you might be planning to go into this, but the industry that you work in would obviously lead to repetitive practice of that. Whereas the industry that you were in, probably not a lot of small talk.

Just in the interview. Interview room.

Right, sure.

That's for sure. And with colleagues, too, that you have met and getting to know them and.

Because I. I think it's fair to say it's the genesis of a relationship, whether it be personal or work or. Or whatever it is.

I agree.

So you think we really appreciate the value of small talk?

I don't know if we appreciate it. I think it's welcome. I just. I think we've talked before about human connection and just enjoyment of speaking to people. Yes.

Sometimes you get in a place you don't want to have chats with people, and small talk can also be shut down fairly quickly if. If it's not wanting to be received. But I. I've encountered that very few times.

As long as you're polite and kind of humorous about it, people don't usually mind. From my experience, mildly humor and.

And just.

Just getting back to that kind of thing I mentioned, where I think someone's maybe been going on a little bit too much, and let's say I've got to be somewhere and I'm gonna be very pointed. And I just say, great, chatty, nice.

Day and good talk. Yep. Sometimes the. The infamous. Oh, I just gotta get this call my Phone's on vibrate.

You know, you have to have an exit strategy with small talk as well.

Well, that kind of is a nice segue to the next up with. And how much does sincerity play in small talk?

Probably fairly little, honestly.

Like I, I think most people are genuine in their discussions, but I think that if you aren't up to talking with somebody that you wouldn't even put in the effort for small talk to start with. Right. It would maybe be something that you would just. I'm good in silence and I'm not going to bother talking to anybody.

Would that kind of depend on the mood of the day or what? What do you think in this? Absolutely.

Yeah. Yeah. And it's. I don't know, it's weird.

You know, I'd never really thought about it that way, but in sales for the last 20 years and it's just one of those things that talking you have to be comfortable with. It's part of the job.

And if you can't relate to somebody, even strangers, like if you're going in to see a new customer, if, if it's, if it's awkward and it doesn't feel right and that person picks it up pretty quick and then they might not want to have a follow up conversation with you. So like I said, I found it to be a learned skill.

It definitely, I'll even take it one step further, perhaps a perishable skill because I know that let's say if I hadn't been in an every room in a few years, I would feel a little bit rusty. And getting back to sincerity, I think at one point you got to engage in the sincerity just to kind of build that trust.

If you were, and not by intention, just all of a sudden you're building a relationship and that does somehow play a part in that.

I would agree.

Environments like, what kind of environments do we normally see small talk in?

Let's just kind of grocery stores. Grocery stores, you know, either standing in line or people are standing in front of something you're trying to look at.

There's just all these weird interactions that you have over the course of a grocery store trip.

I fucked well, I can't remember. Wasn't there a story you told about the grocery store where you ended up seeing someone and ended up in the aisle for something?

Oh, there was, there was a day where I saw three different people in the same store same day. And it, it literally took three times as long. And I don't want to be rude and I genuinely knew the people. And you Just talk and talk.

And sometimes you can tell when people. I can sometimes determine if people just want to talk because maybe something's going on and they just need to talk to somebody. And I don't, I.

That's where I kind of lose the willpower to end the conversation. It's like, okay, let's just keep going. Yeah, I don't want to, you know, I don't want to stifle this person or put them down.

But.

But yeah, if it's people, you know, it kind of, sometimes it goes a little long.

And even people that, let's say, you know, they're are just by nature quiet and all of a sudden they're in, in the small talk, you're going, something.

Is going on that might be their environment of choice to talk to somebody. And you just said it.

Right.

And again too, if you see somebody and you lock eyes with somebody, you know, it's like you're, I would think, not going to be rude and just completely ignore them. You know, it might just be a quick small talk thing, but there's still some sort of engagement.

Yeah, let's just talk about that. Kind of little bit of a rabbit hole. But if you do ignore them then. And let's say there is no ill intent there.

But if you do ignore them, that's from a social dynamics. That's, that's not always a good thing.

No. Then that's kind of lets you know that that person really isn't your friend. Not. Not true friend.

But yeah, if, if somebody's a friend of yours and they. Their eyes hit yours, you would like to think there'd be some sort of recognition there.

And yeah, maybe some people are just too busy in their own heads.

But even like when you say the eye contact, even if it's like, like. Yeah.

You know what I mean? Nope. Yeah, if it's a couple of guys in the grocery store, maybe that's not their ideal spot they want to chat at.

Speaking about places that aren't ideal to have small talk in. But I always, I'll just say from a human nature point of view, sometimes I like to engage just to get the, I'll get the feel for the room.

But this room is fairly small. I'm talking about elevators.

Yeah, that's an awkward one.

Yeah. So I mean you get in and literally there's a small room full of perfect strangers that you have no connection with.

So you get in, you see, let's say you're the last one too, which is even worse. Right. Because there's no room for you. And you're like staring at someone that you don't know.

And the natural thing is to turn around and then what do you do? You look up. Yep.

Or stare at the floor. Stare at the floor, watching the floors go by.

I had, my wife and I were just in Salt Lake City a couple weeks ago and we got onto an elevator and there was a guy on there and he looked fairly stern, like he just didn't look like a happy guy. And for some reason when I got on the elevator, the buzzer started going off. It's like, me, me. And I'm like, come on, I get it.

I said I'm trying to lose weight. And the guy just started laughing. Like I don't think he was expecting that at all. But you know, that's where I like to interject.

He's like, oh, these things. Then he just kind of, you know, it was a very subtle chit chat, but it was that kind of mild comedic icebreake.

Had him drop his guard enough to actually say something.

No, for sure. And there's nothing wrong with that. And getting back to that, like you have to practice it.

When, when I was putting on an interview course, I would actually encourage people to go up and engage and with perfect strangers just to build that confidence. Because guess what? When you're doing an interview, it's a perfect stranger. And there has to be what we call rapport.

Building stage and small talk is really key to that. And it's not always easy.

And you talked about that connection, let's say in, in the sales environment and it's not going well in that interview environment that might mean that someone else is going to have a chat with them. And I would think in the sales environment you might say, hey, you might might want to do a follow up with this person.

Because I, there was nothing there with me and this person. Yeah.

If you can't actually even be comfortable in speaking with them, they're not going to call you because it's awkward. Why would I call you for a second awkward conversation.

Yeah.

You know, but yeah, to your point, that in, in your line of work, if that connection doesn't go well and you're not building trust with the person you're interviewing, a case could possibly go a different way if, if that isn't.

Oh absolutely, absolutely. And even, even with colleagues too, as you know, I mean you, you have to trust the people you work with, especially in, in that job.

Because that, that's your backup. Right?

Yeah. So yeah, I just, I I. It takes a little bit of improv too, because you have to kind of think quick on your feet.

And for examp to San Francisco tomorrow, and on Thursday we have a meeting at the Google head office. So Google, yeah, we're going after some of their business. And my guy's like, yeah. He goes, he thought it'd be great. Just.

He goes, I've been trying to get in there, but I used to use an excuse. I'm like, yeah, no problem. Because just a conversation, that's all we're doing, is we're just talking.

No expectations.

No, not at all. Yeah, but I'm confident enough that I can actually have a conversation, so I don't care if nothing comes out of it.

But by the time we leave there, they'll be a couple of jokes said there'll be an ease of discussion and then we can follow a business afterwards. But that comes with repetition, though. Like, I've been doing it for a long time and have had lots of those types of experiences.

And when you can just boil it down to, you're just having a conversation, that's it, that's all you're doing.

So you make it sound so simple.

Again, years and years and years of practice, but in essence, and I try and tell my sons that whenever they're doing, you know, different teachings or trainings or whatever, I'm like, you're just having a conversation. That's all you gotta do is just talk.

Even if you're the one at the, at the front of the class, you're just having a conversation with the class. And I just spent two weeks in Ottawa helping out with a course when I was in front of the class.

All I'm trying to do is have a conversation because I don't want to be the talking head. I need that engagement to help the learning. And if you can do that.

And it's not always easy, as you know, because sometimes you have a dead patent crowd and you're just going, I just want to be somewhere else.

Exactly. This isn't going the way I planned.

Yeah. So, yeah. But usually there's a couple things I'll do. I always. And it's not.

It's usually the second week where people are starting to get a little more stressed, tired, and say, okay, let's just take a break from the topic and tell me about your brush with fame. Anybody famous at all that you've come across. And everybody has a story, for sure.

There's been a couple times where people, they haven't shared, but they come up to me afterwards.

And so, yeah, they're just not comfortable in that. Yeah, it's public speaking.

And one was Gwen Stefani. Oh, yeah, yeah, the last class. And I was unaware of this, but he was on the island surfing and came across Sarah McLachlan.

Okay.

Yeah, yeah. Apparently she's a pretty good surfer.

Oh, interesting.

Yes.

No, that's. What know that. Canada.

Yeah. But I mean, yeah, she's lived in the lower mainland. I don't know for you.

Yeah, there's her honey and stuff. And yeah, I had to brush it like that. Now that you're talking about celebs.

Oh.

And really. And smile. Chit chat. I was in meetings and Toronto and I can't remember the hotel we were at, but the first guy I saw was Rod Stewart.

He was like, you know, five feet away from me. I was like, oh, my gosh, that's so cool. And then I saw Kurt Russell and that was all great.

And then later on in the night, I went to go to my hotel room. I hit the elevator, but the door opened up and Gene Simmons is standing in there by himself. I'm like, well, okay. Got on to the elevator.

I'm like, well, it sounds like you're bragging, right?

No, no, no.

But.

But you want to talk about trying to figure out small talk.

Oh, God.

I'm like. I said, Mr. Simmons. He's like, good day. I said, how's your trip to Toronto been so far?

He's like, well, it's a little cold and, you know, but other than that, it's nice. I'm like, oh, great. I said, I hope everybody, you know, and then you just start all that.

And the, the best part of it was when I was getting out of the elevator, I'm like, great, Have a great evening. And his salutation to me was, be well. People say what like, you know, when you see the Persona on stage and stuff like that.

And then this normal dress guy is just saying, be well.

So obviously he was without his makeup.

Oh, yes. No, no, he was definitely just a normal guy. We were just having a conversation.

Just a conversation. Yeah, but I mean, that. That's it. Like, I mean, you have. If you have an opportunity to talk to someone for a bit, you. You wouldn't.

That's not your starting new question.

No, no.

Hell.

And you know, you know, I'm sure these people have the same.

Oh, my God, how's, you know, this, that or the other all relating to what they do for their work without having just a regular human discussion off to the side, and I've said this a numerous times before, is, you know, my dad was in sales and he always said if you bump into your customer on the street and you can't talk about anything other than work, you don't have a connection with them. And I was like, so that has been burnt in my brain.

That's a really good case.

It has been burnt in my brain. And, and you know, so you run across people and if it's just like, hi, well, did you buy those cases? You know, it's like, what?

You know, then you're just a schleppy salesperson.

So, so one time I was, and I was with Josh, but he would have been none the wiser. Right. But I'm on the corner of Walk and Don't Walk in beautiful downtown Vancouver and next to me is Bob Ray. A lot of people know who Bob Ray is.

But was he not the ambassador to which country?

He just, I think he just, but he was heavy into politics in Canada and I recognized him right away, but he knew that I knew he came right up and he said, hi, how are you? Right. No small talk.

I was busy. That's funny. Yeah, it's, but yeah, like I said, it's, you just have to be comfortable talking. And again, and just everybody's a human being.

Everybody gets out of bed in the morning, puts pants on, brushes their teeth, goes to do whatever. But if you can look at people that way and just talk, haven't have a conversation that I think that's where small start, small talk originates from.

So your ability to engage in small talk, do you think it, it has a correlation with your ability to be successful? What do you think on that?

I don't know if they exactly translate from one to the other. I think it's, it assists in the process.

In the process?

Yeah, because then there's a comfortability there.

And you know, I've had customer over the customers over the years that if you build up a strong enough relationship, it goes from you trying to sell them on things to them coming to you to ask for advice on what they should do. Then it's like, okay, I got them.

You know what I mean?

Because it changes the D. But they're comfortable in having that conversation to ask. So it, I think that part of the ease of the discussion of the small talk and building that assisted it. Is it a direct relation to being successful?

I don't think so.

I, I, I think that it helps with confidence for sure if you, if you learn that that skill set and you're sincere about it. I, I think there's some amount of, a certain amount of confidence that kind of grows out of that and goes from there. Rhetorical question.

Easier for introverts or extroverts to engage in extroverts.

A hundred percent. I think, I think once sometimes introverts start talking, they're okay.

But I, I really truly think it's that initial, making that initial connection where you would usually use small talk might be where they would struggle a bit.

Okay, let's, let's go down that road a little bit because let's say, and you might find this hard to believe I started as an introvert and small talk was not, I never said two words. And if I did, I would mumble anyhow, so it wouldn't be very positive. Right. So I had to somehow learn that skill set. Learn.

And I'm not always in the mood for small talk. But there's a time and a place where you certainly have to go down that road. How do you basically encourage an introvert to engage in small.

I don't know if you can, like, it's a noble notion, but I think that if just people are wired a certain way, I, I, I couldn't tell you what it would take. And, and like I said, I don't think it's the fact that introverts aren't smart and can't have conversations.

I always, it's always that initial engagement, that icebreaker that, you know, how do I get? Because I, but then once you get connected with somebody like that and you start talking, I've never noticed an issue.

It's always just that initial kind of breaking the ice.

So I used to, I used to do a breakout learning exercise where, and I called, it was like this, the speed dating thing. Okay, so you had basically five to seven, seven minutes to connect with an individual.

But of course we're not talking about getting an older person because you might be interested in a relationship. It's strictly a rapport building thing.

And you would come up with different topics and you think about that introvert who basically would like sports no different than anybody else, would like to listen to music no different than anybody else, engage in physical activity no different, maybe different concerts and, and, and when you talk about music, like who doesn't, who doesn't like music even.

And I think we may or may not have talked about this before, but when we talk about classical music, I could, I could probably joke about it because it's like if, like fine wine, it's Wasted on.

Yes, we have had this conversation.

Yes. So, but if I, if I talk about, let's say country music, rock, and you could even talk about.

And it was funny because I was sitting beside a guy yesterday and Oasis came up and of course we both know that Oasis was touring as of, I think was it this year, last year. And they, they'd been because the two brothers had a falling out for a number of years and the guy next to me says, I can't stand Oasis.

And they were, they were headlining for the who, I guess. So I must have been here in Vancouver because the who was here I don't know how many months ago. Like, it was not that long ago.

And the guy said, I can't stand him. So I just, I went out into the foyer and had a glass of wine and just kind of relaxed until they got done doing what they were doing.

Yeah, but there was a bit of, a, bit of a silver lining to that story as well is it was that someone came up to him and said, how would you like a seat upgrade now? When does that happen? Yeah, he thought that someone was pulling.

His life for sure.

Yeah. But, but just those things that like, like everybody can relate to. So.

And it's. I usually, if I'm taking over a new position in the us I got a new team and stuff.

I've been trying to spend time with each of the managers that I work with and just try, try and figure them out. Like, because I, I'm not the type of boss that just kind of tells people what to do. I like to guide people and coach them.

But you got to know what people respond to and, you know, react with and to, and if, if I can't have a conversation with them, I'm dead in the water. So I've been spending a lot of time with them and just, but that's one of the things I'll ask them, what type of music do you listen to?

Standard answer. Oh, I listen to everything. I'm like, okay, if I told you, you had to tell me, what are the two genres of music you listen to? What would you say?

And then they start, okay, now I got to answer. It's like asking your kid, how's your day at school? Good. You know, you gotta ask a few more open ended questions.

But, but yeah, you've just, it is something you have to work on. And, and it's just, I mean, the.

Easier ones, hey, how was the traffic coming in? That's the easy one. Right. And if you can kind of bridge to Another topic from there that might open the door a little bit more.

That's, that's where you want to go or it's pretty easy around here like that rain's not good today.

You started it with today's episode.

Yes. So, but you know, that's, and it's just being comfortable in your own skin saying, okay, yeah, I'm, I'm pretty comfortable talking about the weather.

I know the difference between sunshine and rain. And, and let's not talk about snow because we might jinx ourselves.

Right.

So. But in case the listeners are wondering, in the lower mainland, yes, we do have snow and snow shovels that need to be used now and again, usually.

Like two or three weeks ahead of the year. It's not too terribly hot.

And let me ask you this. How much snow do you think you're going to be getting in Utah?

I've heard it's pretty extreme in the higher elevations, but like in the valley itself and around Salt Lake, it's not too bad. But it's a dry, dry climate there, so it's light, fluffy stuff, not like the, the watery damp paste that happens due to the humidity here. So.

And growing up in Alberta, just I think it's a similar type client, so I'm okay with it.

So the, the, the dry, the dry cold kind of thing. Right.

Goes around you, not through you.

Yeah, here it goes through you. It goes through you for sure. Speaking from experience, great icebreakers.

When you, you're, and you kind of mentioned one on the elevator there, but that was just that fluke thing that kind of broke the ice and Carolina.

Humor guy always happened. I don't know what it just, I find people have a willingness to laugh if they can. Right.

It's, it's one of those things that, you know, we're not talking about anything controversial. It's just a little joke or whatever.

And most people are like, oh, and then, then there has that feeling of, of a little bit more ease, if you will, because they're not, you know, somebody made them laugh. And I use that at work and stuff.

Obviously there's levels to how much humor you're going to use, but it's always easier, I think people to, you know, kind of chuckle, nap. Contribute.

Contribute. Yeah.

And one of, one of the things that I think that if you are that, let's say that introvert, that it is not very good at engaging and you want to learn. And of course, with everything else, with practice and experience, the confidence builds and you're able to do this with more and more.

And even if you put it in this perspective, well, it's part of my job. I need to learn how to do this as a motivation. But let's be honest, if you're able to do that, there's, there's a lot of value just in.

Outside of the. The work, for sure.

I have big meetings in December with my entire Western US Team and I told them, I said we're going to be doing a lot of role playing and I'm going to put you in uncomfortable situations that you would with a customer that you're going to have to talk your way out of. And just the fear, some of whistling.

In a safe environment.

Exactly.

Yeah.

I like, I would rather have you stumble, putting your hand up, say I don't know what to do here, as opposed to actually doing it in front of a customer. So this is, this is helping you in your.

Oh, yeah.

That's behind things.

Definitely. So if you, if you are having trouble, the best thing you can do is actually be a good listener. That's a good start, right? Yeah.

And you can't go wrong talking like as long as you're not saying offensive words. Just, just practice, that's all.

There's a time and a place, really. There is, there's, there's times where your environments and, and sometimes I do have to say language. It even that gets a chuckle.

You can see it at rights.

Yeah, but whatever.

Right, so telling stories now, if you're a good storyteller, then, then people become engaging with you right away and they, and if they're the introvert, they're gonna, they're gonna ask some questions about the story and, and, and things like that.

Well, it's no different than what you were saying about, you know, teaching and trying to maintain people's interest in topics and stuff like that. That's a skill in itself. And you know, I tell people. Yeah. Whenever I'm talking to big crowds, I'm talking to the person at the back of the room.

That's the only person in my brain that I care about. So then I'm ensuring my voice is projected back there and that I'm maintaining the farthest away eye contact.

And then everybody else just gets caught in the middle and then you're just, you know, if, again, if you can add a little bit of humor, people just, oh, okay. This isn't a, you know, stuffy conversation that I gotta follow for hours and fall asleep.

Yeah, yeah, for sure. But again, because we've talked about active listening a couple different times on the podcast here.

But it, I think it's something that comes to life when you, when you're engaging in and small talk. Unless truly you like to listen to yourself talk. Oh, for sure.

And I'm the number one guilty party. Absolutely. And I tell people I said, no, you need to cut me off, it's fine.

But I think that as you get older and more mature that you realize there is that balance to it. Yeah. I could talk for an hour, but could I listen for an hour? And it's like, well, if, if somebody else is.

If I'm taking up an hour, somebody's time, I think they should buy rice, get an hour as well. If you know, I'm saying to the extreme.

Oh, yeah, yeah.

But it is a two way street that I'm okay with giving the small talk, but I gotta be okay with taking it as well.

Yeah, it's true. Yeah. And some people aren't good with new. No. Would you call probably the extroverts too? I'm thinking again. Yeah.

And sometimes there's dueling out talkers.

Right.

There's always people like that where it's like, I'm, I'm good with chitchat. Well, so am I. Okay, well, I can add some here. Well, so can I. It's like, okay, apparently this is a contest.

I don't want to cut off the small talk, but that music is starting to play in the background. Intro. It's just little things like that. Little things like that. Well, thanks for sharing that talk.

Remember, you too can engage in small talk at the blink of an eye. If you're an introvert, this will come with practice and experience. Be patient with yourself and speak about topics that you're comfortable with.

A lot of times, maybe most of the time, a little bit humor can go a long way to break the ice.

A lot of humor goes a little way too, sometimes.

So until we travel again, remember to take advantage of the moment before the moment takes advantage of you. To learn more about E Walkabout, please Visit us at eWalkabout.ca