By nature, I’m a pretty shy person around strangers or people I don’t know too well. Talking to random people while I’m out and about just does not come naturally to me. I respond to people who speak to me, but I don’t tend to just randomly strike up conversations with people on my own.
Other than basic cordialities, conversations don’t typically go far beyond “How are you today?” And most of the times, no matter how terrible a person’s day was, they typically respond with, “Fine. How are you?” Sometimes I wonder why we even ask…because I fear that none of us really wants to know the answer, right? 🙂
But, one of the things I love about having children is that they are becoming my little ice breakers. Practically everywhere we go, someone is making goo-goo eyes at one or both of the kids {or Savannah initiates an interaction with a bold wave at any passerby}. Sometimes the flirting goes beyond to a question about their ages or very surface level conversation about their own children or grandchildren.
Or, in some cases, the gentleman at the Kroger self-checkout enjoys making faces at Brady and then continues to tell me about his new teaching job that was about the begin the following week. I asked him a little bit about the position and shared that my husband was also a teacher. The conversation wasn’t anything fantastic to write home about, but it was just that…..a conversation and I really enjoyed it.
So often, I’m wrapped up in my own errands and tasks that those conversations simply do not happen. Or, I just simply lack the desire to even try. It’s sad, I know.
But, I’m really loving the fact that my children are facilitators of more and more conversations these days. While taking them with me on my errands can mean more effort, my little ice breakers are helping me to come out of my shell.
And they are pretty darn cute too, if I do say so myself {even with cookie mouth}. 🙂
