Observation #854 talking and listening to my thera-friend

I hung out with my friend who doubles as a therapist today and we discussed the fact that some people continue to hang out with me simply for the reason that they don’t like to do the talking

We all get told a million times that the art of good conversation is achieved by listeing instead of just waiting for someone to pause so that you can start talking
I obviously fall in the “talker” category and I have had much anxiety over the amount of wear and tear it has on my friends
But then I get reassured that this quality is a main reason why I have so many cool people surrounding me

Of course, I still need to be conscious of listening
Mostly because it is a free resource of material to digest and make your own
But I also have to allow myself the luxury of knowing that most people just don’t have much to say that’s interesting
It doesn’t mean that they can’t be your friends or participate in your conversation
You just have to assume the same role as an artist that you do in social situations
And that is to contribute color to the situation
It doesn’t matter if you are nice or kind of a jerk
As long as you can keep up and pull the conversation up to an entertaining level, you deserve equal time

My thera-friend gives me tons of great advice and has been a very positive asset during my recent therapy sessions
She has helped balance the information with personal insight which has made the progress stick a little more
And
She has assured me that, yes, everyone thinks I am a self centered blowhard
But that is why they like me
Because, at least I try to make things interesting