Skip to main content

Hospitality for the Rest of Us: At the DMV



There are places in life where we have developed habits of isolation. A prime example of that is at the DMV. We don't really want to be there, lots of people with nothing to do but wait. Some of those people are talkers. Occasionally, they will find another talker and the two of them will have a loud small talk conversation that all the introverts in the building will roll their eyes over.

So what's an introvert to do at the DMV? Two routes, book and headphones or smile and say hello to people. I would actually recommend the second. People may very well tell you something interesting. And by initiating, you will potentially scare off the non-talkers and be able to guide the talkers into a less painful conversation. 

How do we lead into less painful conversations with strangers? I have not perfected that, but I've found asking questions about rabbit trails of their main point works pretty well. For instance, when someone complains about how things used to take less time, you can ask where they grew up or how long they've been driving or what their first car was. Just keep your ears open and listen for where their story and your interest meets and then try to pursue that topic. Win win for both of you.

Just a short post today. But important all the same. Listening can lead us to some new adventures.
Labels:

Comments

  1. kellywentcrazyFebruary 22, 2016 at 7:20 AM

    I'm the crazy lady who strikes up a conversation with everyone. People sometimes avoid me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tina PuntigamFebruary 22, 2016 at 8:05 AM

      This does not surprise me :-) I was summoned to federal jury duty and there were two ladies who had the loudest conversation in the quietest room. It was like they were instant friends. Weirdest thing I've ever witnessed.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Loving Disagreement by Kathy Khang and Matt Mikalatos

  If you're human, which I'm assuming you are if you found your way here, there will come a moment in your life when you're right and they're wrong and you're going to have to not win because the relationship is more important than your rightness It might be over where to go to dinner, which type of coat to wear for the weather, what ever it may be, you're going to find yourself there. Khang and Mikalatos have got together and written Loving Disagreement for that exact moment, especially if that exact moment isn't occurring with a loved one but with someone you encountered on the internet or maybe the break room at work, the where and who don't really matter because we can be loving towards anyone, even when we're not in relationship with the offending person. The book uses the concept of the fruit of the spirit to go through different ways to handle conflict. Khang and Mikalatos take turns writing the meat of each section but there's a quite enj
Post a Comment
Read more

The Edge of the Divine by Sandi Patty

I had my first experience with Sandi Patty when I attended a Women of Faith even a few years ago. The thing I remember most about her was her voice and her blonde hair. I did not know much of her history going into The Edge of the Divine , but after finishing it, I feel compelled to read some of her other books to find out more. Sandi had a lap band surgery about two years ago and in the midst of it, she learned a few things that she graciously shared with her readers. One of the recurring messages in the book is that God likes to make the ordinary extraordinary. God repeatedly uses the mundane to create the divine. Sandi talks about those moments as edges. The Edge of the Divine is not about her weight loss, but about the mind and spirit work that Sandi has been going through in the midst of weight loss. I am struck repeatedly as I think back upon the book of the phrase “I am enough.” She encourages us to believe that not only is God enough for us, but that we are enough fo
Post a Comment
Read more

Sweet Caroline by Kelda Poynot

  First off, my copy of Sweet Caroline  (aff link) is not a gifted review book, I spent my well earned Amazon No-Rush Rewards money on this book. Second of all, this is not my standard close door kind of romance. Third of all, this is a really fun read. Caroline is a hard working young lady that is doing all that she can to make ends meet and to get her graduate degree. Part of that work is renting out the room above her garage. When she answers the phone of an unknown number, believing it's a future tenant, she has no idea how much her life is about to change.  The young man on the other end of that call, Hashim, is tall, dark, and mysterious in all the right ways. The story quickly moves from the girl next door falling for a stranger to a fight for their lives. And in true real life fashion, those fights aren't just with external enemies but the ones we carry within.  It's an entertaining story of Caroline and Hashim, discovering their love for each other and fighting to
Post a Comment
Read more