What Do You Talk About When You’re Together All The Time?
In five miles of walking and talking, we covered a wide range of topics
My partner and I used to talk about serious stuff, like how my manager at work never appreciated my hard work and how his school administration never supported teachers. You know, all those pre-retirement conversations.
Since those days, we’ve both retired. And not only that. There’s a pandemic. So we don’t talk to friends or go to work or plan trips or do any of the other things we did before Covid-19 isolated us and gave us this valuable bonding time together.
Maybe you’re wondering, Without work, kids, friends, or activities, what is there to talk about?
You’d be surprised! There is so much conversational fodder that you need never run out of topics when you have access to CNN, Fox News, Twitter and Hulu.
Even in isolation, you can engage in vibrant, meaningful discourse. My partner and I have started walking five miles a day together, and five miles gives us plenty of time to converse. The discussion we had today will give you a small taste of the breadth and depth of conversational possibilities when couples are fully engaged in life, despite sheltering in place.
A half block into our walk, I started the conversational ball rolling by bringing up something that had been on my mind since the day before. “I’m thinking of microblading my eyebrows,” I said.
“Why? You’ll look like Nancy Pelosi,” he replied.
Me: She looks good for her age. She’s like 80 or something, isn’t she?
Him: Her eyebrows make her look permanently surprised, probably because she thought Trump would be gone by now.
Me: I don’t think Nancy Pelosi’s eyebrows are microbladed. It looks more like she’s had a brow lift.
Him: Don’t do it. Don’t get plastic surgery. You’ll look terrible.
Me: It isn’t plastic surgery. You don’t know anything about it. Microblading is a simple procedure.
Him: If it’s so simple, I’ll get a kit and do it myself. You won’t need to leave the house.
Me: Why do you always say stuff like that? Don’t you want me to have eyebrows?
Him: You have eyebrows.
Me: No I don’t. They’re penciled in.
Him: You could have fooled me. They look natural. I never knew.
Me: If they look natural, I won’t get them microbladed.
Him: No, go ahead if you want to.
Me: There’s no need, if you can’t tell they’re penciled in.
Him: Don’t let me discourage you.
Me: I think it costs $400.
Him: You’ll look just like Nancy Pelosi.
After five more minutes of walking…
Him: Will you be home at 10 tomorrow for the tree people?
Me: What tree people?
Him: I told you the tree people were coming. Weren’t you listening?
Me: Of course I was. It’s tomorrow?
Him: Yes, I’ve got a doctor’s appointment, so I won’t be home when they get there.
Me: You’ve got a doctor’s appointment?
Him: Weren’t you listening to that, either?
Me: I always listen to what you say. (I rack my brain trying to figure out why he’s going to the doctor and why the tree people are coming without tipping my hand and letting him know I have no clue because I’m ADHD and didn’t hear a word he said since I was thinking about microblading my eyebrows).
Me: What do you think the doctor will say?
Him: Nothing. It’s just the follow-up to my treadmill test. Probably everything’s fine.
Me: And the tree people. Do you want me to tell them anything special?
Him: Make sure they haul the branches away after they cut the tree down.
Five more minutes and we’re almost home.
Him: What’s for lunch?
Me: I just told you. Weren’t you listening?
Him: I’ve forgotten what you said. Maybe I’m losing my memory. Should I mention that to the doctor?
Me: I was just kidding. I never said anything about lunch.
Now you see how easy it is to have conversations that span a broad spectrum of subjects. In just five miles of walking and talking, my partner and I touched on politics, cosmetic procedures, modern medicine, tree management, and food. Who knows what tomorrow’s walk will bring?
