Rules of engagement.

We've really lost the art of conversation.

Most of my frustrations lately are due to conversation - or rather, lack of it. So I've come up with a list of peeves. It helps me calm down to make lists, you know.

To the person who wishes to talk to me:

1. Turn off your cell phone. Unless you're expecting an important call (and if they text, it means they are either not bright enough to call you for an emergency or it's NOT an emergency). If you're in a group of people and you are on your phone, you are not there. You might as well be halfway across the planet. You are not listening, you are not present.

2. It's not about you. I can't tell you how many times I get in a conversation with a group of people and a certain person likes to "join" the conversation and talks about themselves the whole time, completely hijacking an otherwise great conversation. Not only that, but usually they are a broken record and tell you something they've told you millions of times. Stop trying to be the center of attention.

3. Don't interrupt me. I really don't talk that much but when I do, it's actually something I wish to say. If I have nothing to say, I don't talk. I know you want to tell another story that not even YOU are all that interested in, but I haven't gotten much of a word in, and I have one - just one - thing I would really like to add. So please don't interrupt me.

4. Don't talk about other people. I don't care how much you dislike someone or think they are dumb. I don't want to hear about it. In fact, I might actually like them and start disliking you for how bloated with arrogance you are for trying to put them down.

Thank you.

There was a dream that I dreamed, a dream for a world of true conversation.