A brief side note

On my way back from Portland after Thanksgiving break, I sat next to an elderly gentleman named Bill on a rickety propeller plane going into Seattle. I quickly learned that Bill was a superintendent for a school in Alaska and while our conversation started off through comfort during my anxiety for takeoff, it rapidly turned into a personal conversation. Bill told me all about life in Alaska, and I similarly told him of my life in California, Oregon and Montana.

After an hour of non-stop conversation we landed safely in Washington and Bill gave me a relaxed wink along with his business card. He told me that if I was ever looking for a teaching job, or a friend in Alaska, I could always look him up.

What stuck me most about this experience was not the job opportunity that he had "promised" he would give me if I came searching, but rather, the friendly manner in which we conversed. This is why I love language--this is why I love conversation. Being in the air, with absolutely no internet service at all, offered me a chance to get to know someone I otherwise would never have conversed with. Throughout this entire flight I did not once turn on my I-pod, my computer or even so much as open a book because I was so engrossed with our conversation. Not only was I suddenly fascinated with his life, but it was obvious that he had taken a keen interest in mine as well. I made a friend that day--not through facebook photos of my "normal" life or through witty text messages that were considerably thought out...but through actual face-to-face conversation. No pauses for intelligent responses, no fake personalities and no force. What I search for most, what makes me happiest in life, are these brief encounters with strangers that leave a startling aftermath within me. Conversation that is genuine is the most significant part of human interaction.

Today I emailed Bill on the screen name that he put on his card with no other intention but to say hello and to thank him for the engaging conversation that we shared during our fifty minute flight. This interaction left me thinking about the lasting effects that language and conversation can have in the most   unplanned situations--it also gave me the boost I needed in order to truly grasp the enthusiasm I need when facing the topics of this class.