Good Talk

I enjoy thought-provoking conversation like Southerners enjoy fried food. Even Bono recently told Rolling Stone that talking is poetry - like music. Who disagrees with that? No really. I’m asking.

Friends have said I talk more than most people breathe. (Okay, Cathy said that, but several others concurred.) That’s fine, I suppose, since conversational skills are part of my charm. And if a chat turns into a well-reasoned argument? Better than sex! I want to grow and think and learn and that only happens when relating to others. You and I don’t even need to be previously acquainted. I’ll still talk for hours. I learned the art of discourse while sitting at the grown-up table during family gatherings. I also learned how to yell and curse and appreciate tapped beer. However, unlike the old days, modern conversations don’t have to be face-to-face. The Internet provides for great at-length convos and at least one local authority endorses the idea that I’m fun on the phone. So there.

As kids, we talked all night long. What happened to us?

Topics that remain taboo for some, like religion and politics, are my favorite. Firmly held beliefs are what make people tick. Contrary to popular belief, I do not surround myself with like-minded liberals. Although I love my peeps, I dig for differences. Nothing is gained from someone who shares all the same tickings.

At Dunderbak’s, the boss would ask that I stop discussing current events because it sometimes caused trouble. “Customers,” she said, “want you to serve beer with silence and a smile.” No way. If I had kept opinions and questions to myself, I would have never known that my favorite customer was really anti-Semitic or the creepy old guy who always ate alone was a well-known philanthropist. Besides, a quiet waitress wouldn't have a “Spike Lee and Branford Marsalis" story. But that’s for another time.

My name is Catherine and I’m a talker.

If it counts for anything, I’m a listener as well. And I can’t think of anything better than sharing a bottle of wine with someone for a marathon chat session that lasts all night. Can you?