Tag: conversation

Reflections on an amazing conversation

I reconnected the other day with a young man that I have watched as a dancer since he was a little boy. I have marveled at his talent and strength. I have admired his growth and independence as an artist. His pictures and videos are nothing short of amazing. He dances and travels all over the world now and here he was working in a local restaurant with his family. He didn’t recognize me at first until I identified myself as a former dance mom acquaintance. Then, he smiled and immediately began to engage in conversation and even sat down in my booth.

That young man and I had an amazing, thoughtful, reflective, and meaningful conversation that really lasted. We talked about life, our experiences, our mottos, our goals, and our beliefs and reflections on the world in general. He was truly engaged and interactive. We talked without the use of cell phones or ipads, just words and direct eye contact. It was some real old school wonderful. I was so glad that this young person was interested in what I had to say and became so curious that he came back for even more discussion.

This is what I love about my life. I love that I can be so approachable that even people who have not seen me in a long time can feel comfortable enough to come up to me and have a meaningful interaction. I consider this a true blessing. I wish that more young people had enough conviction, courage, and social skills to do this on a regular basis. This is a quality about myself that I continue to nurture. I feel like I have so much potential to give and contribute. I want to be able to share real thoughts and feelings and actually learn and pass on what I’ve learned. I just want to pass it on, for those that want it, whenever they want it. We need to share what we know with the people that want to learn, regardless of age or situational differences. We can all benefit from these interactions. Let’s go for it everybody!

Dr. Katz

Corona doesn’t just invade bodies. It invades conversations too.

Wow this is so true! I am finding that there is no situation or conversation setting that is risk free of the corona topic. It just creeps in somehow no matter what. I am willing to bet that part of the culprit there is that people realize that I am a physician, but I cannot change that. It’s just that I need a break from talking about it every now and then. It comes up in the most bizarre situations though. It even came up when our farrier was over working on our horses and the llama guys were over shearing the llamas. Heh? Llama corona? Corona and horse feet? Although I also have to admit that I seem to wait with baited breath in every conversation for the corona lead in and on the rare times that it doesn’t present itself, I find myself bringing it up. I seem to have a multitude of strategies pre-prepared just in case. So, I guess I have to embrace a lion’s share of blame in that regard. I am not sure why I do that. I think part of it is that I am determined to share a logical, fact-based viewpoint about the whole situation, as opposed to the barrage of half-truths and conspiracy theories that I hear everyday. I also sense that people just need to hash it over and talk about it still until life resumes some sense of normality so why fight it? I have to admit tho, I do wax poetic, dreaming about the days when I used to talk about something else: books, tv shows, kids, pets, politics( yuck, rarely), and even OTHER world events. Those were the days weren’t they? In the spirit of the return to normal life, let’s make a pact: Have at least one conversation a day without discussing corona virus. Come on! Who’s with me? Cheers to talking about……anything else! Have a fantastic day everybody!

Dr. Katz

Flattening the social skills curve: a side effect of the COVID pandemic

See the source image

Does anyone else out there notice that they have forgotten how to have a normal conversation lately? I feel like somehow in my mind these last five weeks have really been ten years and I have become sort of like Nel and am losing some basic language skills due to lack of exposure…lol I really have no excuse. I am still working, when I can get patients to show up, and I have had to leave the house a few times for essentials. I do see actual human beings every day at my house and at least once a week at the office and the hospital. And yet, I find myself talking to my dogs like they are my best friend and mooning over 5 year old Facebook memories as if I cannot even remember what those times were like. If I happen to be out walking the dogs( which is often whenever I am home. I am going to have the most fit Shih Tzus on the planet!) I find myself doing an intensive mental prep just in case a random person were to show up and want to have a conversation…..at a safe distance. I try to have any one of a dozen pre prepared things to say because when it does happen, I find myself blathering on endlessly like a 5 year old just to make the conversation last longer until the unsuspecting person finally tears themselves away. Yikes! I am so sorry! I just can’t help it right now. I find myself doing the same thing at the grocery store, just in case someone would want to talk to me. I give over exuberant responses to the basic, polite ” How ya doin?” question as if it might be the last question I am ever asked. I realize that it is ridiculous, but I can’t seem to stop myself just the same. It seems like I am attempting to flatten my own curve right now: the social skills curve. Here’s hoping that that is as temporary as our quarantine. Have a great day everybody!

Dr. Katz