The 'Backwards' Research Guide for Writers - Using your Life for Reflection, Connection, and Inspiration - Sonya Huber
11. Conversations
The 'Backwards' Research Guide for Writers - Using your Life for Reflection, Connection, and Inspiration - Sonya Huber
Sonya Huber [+]
Fairfield University
Description
When a large or small challenge arises, most people will pick up the phone or find a friend. You might dash off an email or send a text message to share the details or ask for advice. What you reach for in each of these different forms is connection through conversation. A good conversation lifts the spirit, allows you to see things from a new point of view, and makes you laugh or cry as you talk with and listen to friends in a free-flowing exchange. When you speak and a friend responds in a certain way, you feel heard; your friend gets it, understands, and an emotional connection is made. This activity and the human need for it are close to the core of life as a social being. An interview might seem very different from a relaxed conversation with a friend. Instead of an open-ended give and take, one’s responses are recorded for analysis. If you have ever had to request and conduct an interview, you might have noted that it creates anxiety. It doesn’t feel polite to ask a near-stranger about a personal experience or a professional challenge.