Where Have All the Words Gone?

Where have all the words gone? I ask myself. Like crickets, have they hidden from the racket? Or like cockroaches scittering away from the light. It has been over a year since I have written in here last, and I wonder--Why?

So much has changed I feel as though I have to get reaquainted with my reader. It is during this reaquaintance period that one must ask themselves what is important to mention. I dont' want this to become a brief encounter with an old friend one hasn't seen in seven months. I don't want this to become 'small talk'. Why do we even do it--small talk? The conversation where neither party is listening which promises it to be had again in agony in another 5 months. Perhaps it's good. It keeps us in touch with old friends one might say. But why? I've heard in other countries the typical question to ask an old friend one hasn't seen in awhile is what they had for lunch. This cuts through the small talk and right down to what is real. What we eat--who we are. There was a period in my life when I refused to have small talk. Instead, I asked people questions like, What gets you out bed every morning? What did you have for breakfast? Do you prefer mornings or evenings? Many didn't understand my off-the-wall tactics and felt uncomfortable.

I'm back to the small talk. Things are good. Keepin' busy. Goin' to school. I'm an eternal student. What about you? I normally check out for several minutes, wondering about where I should be going. Perhaps that is my problem. I'm not listening. I need to be interested. I need to show that I'm interested.

In case you were wondering; today I went for lunch with my mom at the Olive Garden. Normally I'd give you a speech about how I'm opposed to these large corporate chain restaurants, but I enjoyed it. I had the gorgonzola medallions over fettucini. It was delicious. My girlfriend Kelsey is in Portland presenting at a conference. She'll be living in Ames Iowa and I'll be in Bismarck for much of the summer. We will be contemplating weekend trists in Minneapolis or E-fares to reunite. I have a lot to say, but don't want this first entry to feel like the last week of school lunch.

-Shawn