Coffee and Conversation

One of my favorite activities is to have coffee and conversation with interesting people. Jerry Seinfeld, the famous comedian, has a popular web-series called “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.” In these short videos, Seinfeld rides around in classic cars with other comedians, stopping at coffee houses along the way. Their conversations are casual, interesting, and hilarious.

I’m not much into cars, but the rest of the show appeals to me. I really enjoy sitting face-to-face, with one other person and having a good conversation over coffee…oh, and some biscotti. I wouldn’t want to record it on video though, because that may inhibit an open, transparent conversation. I might share their story by writing about it later, since that allows me to change names and thus retain people’s privacy.

I think most people have something worthwhile to express, but only a few are candid enough to share anything beyond the superficial layers of their experiences. Others may want to open up but are not able to verbalize their feelings and opinions easily. Some people are so preoccupied with maintaining a certain image that they don’t want to express anything real.

There are several key ingredients to a good conversation: Shared interests, inspirational experiences, instructive advice—all freely expressed by two articulate, transparent individuals. A good conversation is a thing of beauty—similar to two equally-matched tennis players on a court, or two wonderful dancers on a stage. It can be exhilarating, mutually inspirational, and deeply satisfying.