the lost art of conversation

"tienes hungry?" she said.
"si, mucho!!"
"oohhh.... donde esta tu babe?" she asked.
"con me esposo..."
"ohh!" she exclaimed.
"no, no, con me esposo's...no, esposo de la.. no, no..con me madre de esposo?"
"oh, si, con su abuela?" she corrected.
"yes, yes...exactamente!"
"tu es mucho funny!" she laughed.

this is a conversation that i recently had with anna, an older lady that i have recently come to know from el salvador...and, not surprisingly, this is how many of our conversations go, neither of us speaking the other's language very well, but both desiring to communicate with each other. we use of mix of spanish and english with lots of facial features and gestures, and sometimes even raise our voices (because talking louder and slower really makes an unknown language understandable!). even though conversation with anna is awkward and sometimes difficult, it's worth it to get to talk to this sweet lady..to try to communicate friendship and love to her across the many boundaries stacked up between us.

a friend was telling me the other day about another friend's teenager, who said that she prefers to text always. she doesn't like talking on the phone because "there's all those awkward silences where you just don't know what to say." i'm not knocking her because i totally understand what she means. i remember being in middle school, when that cute guy who sat across from me in my pre-algebra class called...and as much as i wanted to talk to him, i always got so nervous and didn't really know what to say. so there was a lot of breathing and only a little of talking...but that's what being in a middle school relationship is made of. and i really think i was learning even then about how to converse with other people..in fact, i think i have been learning that from a very early age. even noah, as a young infant, is learning how to have a conversation, in his own, little guy way. he makes noises and i respond, usually by saying, "no way, really?" or "you don't say!" or something along those lines..and you know what happens next? he responds back to me...babbling on a little, and back and forth we go. chit chatting away. while it's not the most intellectual conversation i've ever had, i know it's great for him as he develops and grows.

i really think overall, this whole texting thing isn't really the best for the art of conversation. i find myself, at times, saying things i would never say otherwise, or not saying things i would otherwise say...because of the freedom of just letting what is said be said. there's little relationship, even though there is much convinience. so, really, i'm going to try to pick up the phone and call next time...and you better answer. and be ready...awkward silences and all.