We are all made of stories. I’ve always known this but seeing a neon sign saying exactly that makes the notion seem less of an abstract thought. I would like to add something else to the statement.

In my previous career, talking to people was an add on. Medical Imaging requires loads of technical skills. Being ‘good’ with patients and colleagues is valuable but secondary to the main task. Being a gallery guide in a museum is the exact opposite, my art knowledge is a secondary skill to that of engaging, or not *, with people as they move around the space. Talking to people you don’t actually know is an adventure that can take you down the dullest cul-de-sac, or onto  a thought provoking moment. Even if the interaction isn’t the most positive conversation you have ever had, there is often something to be gained from it. We should all be grateful our thought bubbles remain our own private dialogue.

Thankfully I’m able to dump all the bad or negative interactions I’ve had with strangers in a pile that rarely troubles me. The good ones can be transient or live long in my thoughts. Sometimes with regret that they couldn’t have gone on for longer or had sequels. But mostly they become another one of the stories that I am made of, even if they are a teeny tiny piece of my own jigsaw. They also are, however briefly, a part of my journey.

Talking to strangers is life enhancing.

* Sometimes not talking to someone is a positive act, reading body language and judging the right time to not talk is also a great communication tool.

Now is my time to stop talking!