Funsize Talk

By Andrew Blakney-Jimenez

How often do you find yourself in the all too common scenario? waiting out in the hallway before class, or
sharing a seat on the bus with someone, who you either happen to know only by name, or you happen to know very little about. Boredom, exhaustion, and instinct dictate that talking is just out of the question. After all, such is the circumstance that makes for probably the worst type, and perhaps the most undesirable forms of conversation ever: Small talk.

The choices, silence or small talk, are both bad; silence is rude and disrespectful, and small talk is just excruciatingly cruel to anyone who is even half alert. Whilst I remain one of the parties guilty of conforming to the common avoidance instinct, -a member of the more socially reserved, and conversationally moronic personalities- I find the situation to be worse when no conversation is shared. When it comes down to it, conversation is an art, but it is not a hard one to master. Both of these ridiculous choices can be avoided by allowing yourself the chance to speak about you.

You are the most interesting person you know, and while talking about yourself may feel like arrogance at first, the end result will change what used to be small talk into a healthier and friendlier conversation. It's relatively easy for anyone to relate to the uniform high school experience we all suffer through, and perhaps your grievances about the whole thing is a good place start.

I'd say school sucks, but these college applications are what is really killing me right now. What about you?