They Don't Know What They're Missing

When starting a story, the third attempt should be the cue to stop trying.
 If they are interrupting you,  your audience must not want to hear it. It is possible they do not know about the greatness of your storytelling. They might doubt the validity of your story or they may not care.

Among new folks, I find myself losing people in the context of my story. My first sentence must not be a show stopper. Yesterday I was recounting the story of the baby snake in my classroom. Relating it to the mouse someone saw in the hall. I started. The gentleman I was trying to entertain, talked over me. Ok no problem, I think I was interrupting him. I waited, attempt two falls flat. I waited and tried again. He marches on in conversation. It was starting to feel like a fight for the attention of our other colleague.
I gave up. I couldn't win. 
Then I remembered another story about a student, let's call him Jesus, who saved the school cafeteria from a mouse. 
 Teachers and students were paralyzed by fear, but not Jesus. He trapped the mouse with his size 15 boot and gently picked him up by the tail. Everyone cheered for Jesus, the school underdog, as he released monster outside. Jesus walked a little taller that day.


I might be talking to the wrong people! Maybe the stories are not so fantastic.
Either way I will work on hooking the audience with a really flashy beginning. I don't want anyone else to miss out! I can also try to stop interrupting. Better yet, I'll stop talking to that guy!

First Response: Throw Reason Out the Window

It seems that once a thought enters my head, my first instinct is to believe. 
Bizarre? Great! 
Unrealistic? Welcome here! 
Creak in the house? Murderer
Can't find car in parking lot? Stolen

Once, when returning home from vacation, my neighbor was not around, but his car was. I smelled near his door everyday for the stinch of rotting body. I just knew he was dead on the other side of that door. Eventually, someone picked him up at the airport and he came home. He had friends, who knew? I thought he dramatically died alone in his home.

The other day I heard a "firecracker" and noted the time. I want to be as helpful as I can when they need to find the gunman.

I suppose plausibility of a thought is earned by existing. Since this grants me both poor taste in movies and the ignorance of not realizing it, you should never trust my movie or book recommendations. (Return to Me and Stephanie Meyer) 

There is an unspoken agreement with my friend, Courtney. Texting, phone calls, emails, do not require immediate feedback. There is a grace period, and a preference to quality time instead of a quick chat. All that to say, response times vary.
Even with this very enlightened and mature relationship, I can still throw reason out the window with a quickness.
Yesterday I text her, "How are you?" No response. 
My first thoughts were not, "She is busy, I'll try again later."
  Instead, my go to, "She hates me. She finally figured out how ridiculous I am. She can't stand me."
 It doesn't matter that we talked last week for an hour and a half, or that we have known each other for 11 years, or that we lived together for 7, or that we have a standing summer vacation date for the next 20 years. No, I throw all that out and hold tight to the idea that our friendship has ended. 
Somewhere in the midst of my ridiculousness, I realize what I am doing.  Then I have to walk outside and  pick up the common sense I threw out for the sake of a good story.



RFL,
 You already know this, but I'll say it for the guy with the nice shirts and for my benefit, no guilt intended.

Let Us Make a Deal

Just a thought for the day.

Be as resilient as the people on Let's Make a Deal.
Yesterday I was watching, and this girl won $200.  Not a bad score. What she turned down, also known as what was behind Curtain 2, was worth $20,000. She cheered, hands-over-head, all the way back to her seat.
 I would have forced a commercial break, falling, in tears, at the feet of Wayne Brady.

I don't know what it is that makes them go on after such a loss. I want to be able to recover so gracefully. I am determined to work toward this new goal with gusto! Well probably not gusto. I will try hard.