ON THE AIRWAVES — By Lakshmi Kothaneth — Travelling miles together yet hardly knowing each other. Isn’t that what we go through every time we travel? In the rush to get in line to check in and handover your baggage and then walking up to sit and wait at the respective gate. It might take a long time to break the ice between adults to start a conversation. It takes nothing for children. As I sat there a young child asked his mother if he could go and play with two kids at the airport who were running around and having a great time. The minute he got a green signal from his mother, he rushed off to the two brothers. Within seconds the three were playing together chasing each other.
So what is the difference?
The difference between us and children is openness that comes with innocence and lack of shyness. When do we lose that openness we have all had and develop the shyness and reservation? I think the answer is when somewhere we began to realise the fact that people love judging others. The successful people in communication are the ones that ultimately learn to cross that bridge by realising with the attitude, “It does not matter.”
It is so easy to judge others but it is more exciting to understand another person and accept the other person just the way they are. I know it is so easy to say but so difficult to act upon.
Imagine all the opportunities we miss out in life just because we don’t connect with the right people even though we are at the right place at the right time. Networking can happen anywhere but it is the people who have the art to start a conversation who might strike the deal.
Now does that mean we ought to be just shrewd? Should there always be a benefit behind a conversation. Women will be the first to say there is nothing as soothing as a good chat with friends. There is a relief one gets in opening up to a person. If it is a problem that has been bothering you, sharing it makes it trivial all of a sudden. Now all that matters is that the person you have opened up is also someone who believes in confidentiality. If not the whole session could be damaging. That would take us back to the circle of people judging each other.
But somehow it is ‘people’ that makes it most interesting and that gains viewership, listeners and readers. I suppose ever since man began to settle, the neighbours must have been interested in each other’s news. It is probably this that has inspired the concept of stories. Just take a moment to reflect on the ingredients that is required in a good story that would capture your attention.
