Lost art of meaningful conversations

Lost art of meaningful conversations

elgeewrites Lost art of meaningful conversations Small%2Btalk1
You know what I miss the most these days? Long meaningful conversations. Thanks to Whatsapp, FB and every other social connect there is no dearth for ‘hey whats up?, ‘what did you cook?’, ‘Ain’t it too hot these days?’ and my abhorrence to talking over telephone nowadays, I  cannot try and remember having a thoughtful conversation. Ahem.. Ahem.. add to it that I don’t write at all. So where does that leave me? Yearning to have an interrupted conversation devoid of frivolous talks about weather, events or persons. 

A few years ago, I used to write these long e-mails to a pen pal, S. I can’t recollect how it started but there we were, exchanging mails for about 2 years. We had never exchanged numbers, or even a precise location ( I think). Neither did I even try to connect through any of the social networks, though Google and FB  have shown him under people you might know in the social media platforms, REPEATEDLY, off late and hence the post.
This is how it went on for years. About once a week, without a fixed time line or anything, that is whenever either of us had time and a whim to write, we jotted down what was going on in each other’s mind, without having the need to actually explain anything more than necessary. Once in a while when we did miss to reply, but there was no once that we waited for the other to respond first. 
Generally I used to fill my long letters talking about the dog we had then to the book that I was engrossed in during the week, just typical of me. He wrote me about his job, family, his other pen pals and his Tabla lessons and such. There were times that all I used to write was what I would write about the following week. I shared with him notes that I used to call ‘poetry’, stuff I scribbled during my school and college days. To be honest, there were no flirty messages or attempt to each other. I distinctly remember his interest on being a self employed, which he took a chance at but went back to being a regular techie with varied interest in life. His passion towards life and trying out new things would ooze out of his writing. And that is what I tried to imitate in my letters to him. 
elgeewrites Lost art of meaningful conversations Small%2Btalk1


In fact, he was a probable inspiration for me to start this blog. Yeah, he was the first person outside of my immediate circle of friends that I shared something that I have created, be it sketches or the poetry or even my thoughts about random topics. What if he had not been receptive or even worse, was discouraging about them? May be I might have had not this space now where I rant about anything and everything under the sun, most of the time is of no use to the reader. 
Now I am looking at those letters / mails, feeling not just nostalgic but also wondering what happened to that guy. The last mail I received from him ended in a sad note about the unexpected misfortunes that fell upon him. Something the 22 year old me couldn’t even begin to comprehend, let alone offer support or even grieve with him and yet I made an earnest attempt at it. Haven’t heard from him after that, until these internet Gods started prompting me that I should be connecting with him. (I am not going to, FYIP)
Coming to think of it I don’t think I would have spoken about him to any of my friends either, not to hide him away but more because his presence didn’t seem to make a huge impact then, but now I am filled with gratitude towards him. Hope that he made safe and happy out of his ill fate and have moved on in life. So why am I writing such a long post about something that happened eons ago? Despite having so many people that I talk, I miss writing letters. In fact the only letters I have ever written were to a faceless guy years ago. I don’t mind the quicker and shorter communication but I want to get back to writing long paragraphs about everything under the sun from why we named our dog Caeser to how to get back to writing blog posts. Is there an interested pen pal around? Let me know.
It’s Q & A time !

It’s Q & A time !

elgeewrites It's Q & A time ! q

So I wrote two reviews on two crappy books, which were romance and I am already flooded with questions on my reading habits and taste. Hmm maybe flooded is not exactly the word but yeah I have been asked by more than the usual two / three people who usually read my posts. And I seriously feel I should address some of the ‘loyal’ reader’s questions 🙂

  • What got into you, Romance novels? 

Nothing ‘got’ into me. I stumbled into bunch of e-books which happened to be ‘romance’. And I had a few hours to kill. Thus started the epic journey, the rest is history – as they say.

  • You got really no other genre?

 

Come on, they are not really that bad. Of course they eat my brain / raise my BP in not so positive manner. But on the positive part – They have stayed in my brain so long that I actually did make myself to write something for the blog right?

  • Are you done with them?

 

Actually, as you would have seen it is a series and I have read about three of them, and reviewed two, so I might continue reading them (he he).

  • They both were not good, then why more pain?

 

Good now that has been asked, out of pure interest and maybe sort of lil’ care, I need to address. 

On a serious note: 

  1. They provide such a let out for my vented anger. You should try this – shouting at the actions on people (characters, rather) who can not argue back or justify every bit of their stupidities. Seriously – I mean it. 
  2. It is easier to say “You did that!, You should not have, Were out of your minds? What a creep. blah blah to a literary character than to a real life bozo . And erm.. anyway I do that it in real life too..
  3. Makes me more and more UNROMANTIC (as if that can happen)
  4. They prepare me for the real world out there. Not like I am not seeing them all time. Hey these are not fairy tales which will not happen, but who knows one of these creeps might actually exists and I WOULD NOT REACT THE WAY THE CHARACTERS DID. See, I am learning, who said there is nothing to learn from romantic novels, even stupid shitty romantic novels. (Gee.. I know that is a far fetched incredible reason, but i am running out of reasons)

 

  • Maybe it is just these series:

 

Actually the series has all more than 3 on 5 rating Goodreads. But how.. Go figure! 

  • Maybe it is just the particular bunch / maybe you should try some other Indian novels:

 

Oh you asked for it. Look out for my latest review by an Indian Author. (Warning you are on your own)

  • Maybe…

 

It is just me. I didn’t like it, several others liked it and am not spreading a hate post. Just voicing my opinion, in er.. not so professional way. Try them you may like them, on your own risk.

But don’t discourage (save) me from these trashy books. I am a girl, hence I am allowed to have few (lot) eccentricities and I can love & like & hate things, sometimes the same thing.  

  • Are you becoming addicted to them? Is the book review section going to be flooded with these pinky novels?

 

No way. It is as ever going to be mix of all the usual stuff I read. By usual I mean I am not going to know what I am going to read next – as ever.

Bottom line – 
 
Dont lose your heart. There are thousands of great romance novels out there, among a million crappy ones, and we will find them – even if we have to live a hundred heart attacks and throw in a thousand posts male bashing (and female bashing too). On a positive side, of the 7 or 8 chick-lit I read this year, only two were horrible and you saw the review one of them here and the other is on the dash board. And I absolutely loved 3 of them. Hmm one of these days I might actually give some positive reviews. Till then, so long..

Cheers!

 
 
elgeewrites It's Q & A time ! 7A5F95EFA8DC9133AC05A731B20F121A