listen hear

Have you ever played the date game? Sitting close to a couple whose body language and conversation says they've recently met. So what's on the table for conversation? Background/the run down? First date most likely. Friends and light jokes? Second to third date. When you first meet a new person, friend or love interest, do you lay it out on the line or do you withhold? I personally withhold but I've found that most of the time people tend to divulge a lot of information in me surprisingly fast. This makes me feel good knowing that others trust me with their "truths." These truths can be described as secrets, obsessions, interests, loves/hates, and extreme opinions on others. This is something that since elementary school has been a common factor in all my friendships and relationships. I am the secret keeper. I am pulled to coffee, sleepovers, girl's nights out, beer with the guys, walks and phone conversations which begin light but always end up in confessions. There is no gift to this but there is an understanding; I don't hear you, I listen.

Because I listen I usually learn much more about a person but just doing so rather than diving head first into a conversation that may or may not involve me. I am also genuinely interested in what makes people tick and react. You really hate something? Tell me why, how and what. Get specific, give me details. Just like my collection of tangible treasures, I collect secrets. I think acquiring this relationship with people early in getting to know them makes them either do two things, become a friend for life or feel too vulnerable and stray a bit. Simple, silly, deep, dark, useful and useless, they will never leave my lips.