What I Finally Said

Jose (J): "So we got in an arugment last night."
Counselor Enie (CE): "Oh?  Well how did it go?"
J:  "Well, she said this and I said that and she said this and I said that.  Then she said this.  I said that. Then she said this."
CE:  "Then what did you say?"
J:  "I didn't say anything."

Not quite verbatim (never have been, never will), but I think you get the point.  Counselor Enie did.  Then, she wrote down probably the most influential statement in my notebook for me to ponder:

Most People Stop Life One Sentence Too Short.

No kidding.  I was really good at that.  I could keep it all to myself.  I didn't have to share anything with anyone.  And you couldn't make me.  Nobody could make me.  Ever.

Looking back at my previous life, I can recall a request during a rather heated discussion: "All I'm looking for is a response."  And I just stood there.  It wasn't that I didn't have anyting to say...my mind was swimming.  I simply couldn't decide what to say.  So I said a whole lot with my blank stare.  Probably didn't help my case that much at all. 

I think this was around the same time when Counselor Enie suggested that it would be good for me to do some homework for next time.  I was asked to start a conversation during the week with someone I did not know, and in the course of the conversation, share something personal with them about me.  If someone would have asked me to shoot the Pope instead, I'd have bought a ticket to Italy.  I had a few issues.

Anyhoo, over a period of time, I learned to speak the next words, and over time, began to reap benefits.  First, conversations were far more interesting.  And, far more satisfying to me, my questions that I never seemed to have the initiative to ask were getting answered.  Enlightened I was.

And continue to be.  You can't shut me up.  Almost female-esque, but not quite.  And life is far more enjoyable.  Speaking that next group of words can make a difference sometimes.  It did for me.