To Talk or not to Talk?

She Said

Have you ever wondered why I get drowsy while you're talking? Sometimes the steady flow and rhythm of your voice lulls me into dreamland. Now I know why. Research actually shows that lectures (yes, many times you do that) work AGAINST the human brain. Brains require workouts to learn and grow while lectures foster a couch potato mentality. After about four to eight minutes of listening to someone talk, even the brightest brains will seek another adventure.
Isn't it funny that teaching practices haven't adapted to active learning that inspires creativity and invention? Did you really enjoy all of the lectures that teachers provided while you were in school? If a person doesn't use the information stored in his active memory or if it isn't applied in some way, it evaporates to make room for incoming data.
I've always felt like lengthy discussions about the same topic are useless, which brings us back to you. You tend to repeat the same thing half a dozen time in order to make your point. No wonder I tune you out. My brain is ready for some new information.
It really is true that opposites attract, though. I'm not a compulsive talker, and you are. I don't talk unless I have something to say that I think might interest you; on the other hand, you tell everything you know . . . even if it's about yourself.
You are the most honorable person I know, and you admit that you like to talk a lot. That's what makes you such a good PR person. Plus, it sure does take the burden of providing small talk off of me. We've even laughed about numbering your stories so when you begin one, I can say “Oh yes, that's number 212. Let me finish it for you!”


He Said

To answer your question about being drowsy while I am talking . . . we need to be a bit
more honest with ourselves, don't you think? You get drowsy everywhere— the movies,
my mother's house and I am not sure that you have ever seen a full-length play in
your life. So it is not the flow and rhythm of my voice that lulls you to sleep. It is any
steady and rhythmic voice that takes you to your Nirvana.
What you consider“lectures” are some of my best comments about facts concerning your life or my life, depending on the topic. I have noticed that every time we talk about something that
you don't like or agree with, you turn a deaf ear and tune me out. Usually after one
of our long conversations, your comments that follow are about some
subject that never entered either of our conversations, leading me to believe that
you were not listening, or that you were concentrating on your next idea or presentation.
You tune me out because you don't want to hear the truth, or the truth is bothering
you in some way.
I still love you, though, and the reason we may have been attracted to each other was
my love of chat and your quietness. But what I remember as my shining hour and
what made you the love of my life was your comment about my being the most
introspective man and the most intuitive person that you had every met. But looking
back, I am sure I have told other people about this, so for you I guess you could label this story number 213.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder . . . or does it?

He Said
Relationships are a funny business. Not literally, but funny in some ways. Take being absent from each other, for instance. All my life I have heard stories about men who go off on fishing trips and women who go on cruises with other groups of women. It makes me wonder. Do I need to be absent in your life more often?
Let me preface this by saying, I don't really want to; however, all these tales about being away from each other making you stronger got me thinking. I love being around you all the time, but would you miss my mannerisms, which annoy you daily and get on your nerves constantly after all these years, if I went on a fishing trip with the boys? I reiterate, I don't want to, but if it would make you miss me more, I could learn to fish.
My problem is I am not sure you would miss me enough or even realize that I was back, or you might find out you did not miss or need me at all. I would hate to find out that I had just become
a habit to you instead of your better half . . . or at least some half.
I think I will just give up on this fishing idea. I hate the smell of fish, I don't like the ocean, I hate all that bright sun stuff and the smell of suntan lotion makes me nauseous. Guess I'll
just hang with you.
I would miss you too much to go fishing anyway.
She Said
Good grief, what will you come up with next? Your going fishing is as likely as my driving a race car and I can tell you right now that Dale Johnson or Jimmy Earnhardt have nothing to worry about.
If you did find some new adventure to try without me and you were gone for a few days, maybe I could get some rest. Would I miss you ? Sure I would. Would I be pleased when you came back? Depends on what you brought me.
Being apart would not hurt our relationship and might give us breathing room to do our own thing. The problem as I see it is that when you returned I would have to give you a play-by-play of every minute you were away, and I just don't have the time to write all of that down . . . plus you would be calling me on my cell every five minutes with some fish story and I would be right in the middle of one of my soaps so I wouldn't talk, and you would want to know what's the matter. And so on
and so on.
No, we probably should just stay together every day or a better idea would be to go off TOGETHER on a cruise to the Cayman Islands where I could snorkel and you could learn to fish (ha ha) or I could learn to drive a race car, especially if one of those cute drivers were around to
teach me. (Do you hear me, Dr. McDreamy?)
You, fishing? . . . No one would ever buy into that fish story . . . especially me.