My latest conversation Starter.

As you know by now, during my last Holidays I stopped shaving and after 3 weeks had the makings of a reasonable beard and as I was in a position to keep my beard at Work I decided to grow it out for a bit longer. Although it was neither my first beard, nor my longest, it has produced much more conversations that any beard before.

Much to my surprise it has provoked conversations with people in the circles that I move in but have never spoken to before.

I guess it must have been the novelty of it as after nearly 3 months of beard, these conversations have now died off, except to the point of a select few who only want to know when I am going to get rid of it.

Which will be very soon and I guess for a week or two, my new clean shaven look will engender more conversation, but after that what?

What will be my new conversation starter be after then? Will I have to fall back on that old faithful? The weather!

What about you? Are you a conversation starter or do you leave it to others to start a conversation?

Despite being extremely shy around strangers, I often find myself having to start conversation with others, only to find that once started I can’t get another word in edgewise. They apparently are too shy themselves to make/take the first step, but once started there is no stopping them.

So, what if anything, is it about you that causes people to speak to you? Better, what is it in others, that causes you to speak to them?

Are you prepared to put yourself out to make the first introduction and see where it ends? Or will you forever leave it to others to speak first? Usually all that happens is a Mexican Standoff with each one waiting on the other to make the first step.

So, are you prepared to step up, speak up, and if necessary shut up as others dominate the conversation that you have initiated? Over to you again: Walter