Finding People Who Really Listen Is Not an Easy Task

One of the things I miss is having someone with whom I can have true, open communication. It is very difficult to find people who really listen. At my workplace it is very difficult to hold a conversation with my coworkers. It seems like many of them cannot comprehend many simple concepts, so I limit what I say to jokes or work-related topics. I do not know if they just do not listen to what I say or if they are not very intelligent. Once in awhile someone will ask about the book I am reading (This is a rare occurrence.), but I do not think they would be interested in hearing about the ideas of Slavoj Žižek. Conversations during breaks seem to be limited to sports or family issues. Even if I had a spouse I do not think I would want to share what is going on at home with coworkers. Many of the people with whom I interact on a daily basis do not really listen. Many times people are more interested in what they have to say than what the other person has to say. Instead of listening to each other we too often try to think of how we can respond. I try not to do this, but I have been guilty of it on occasion. I do try to listen to what others say to me. I do not try to impress with witty remarks. I am not say that I do not enjoy making witty comments. As I have said several times, I like making people laugh. I enjoy laughing too. I enjoy being people who laugh at themselves, and I like laughing at myself too. Sometimes I have referred to myself as "Hlupák." This is not because I think I am stupid, but it is because I do not want to take myself too seriously. Once a friend joked that I had love handles. He explained that he was talking about my ears. This still makes me smile. It is true that I like for a man to hold me ears during a certain activity. Being really present in conversation is one of the gifts that one person can give another.