If you've had more than a handful of conversations with me, most likely you'll have heard me begin a comment with, "I heard this on NPR and..." Everyone makes fun of me that I listen to NPR so much - apparently, it's nerdy or something. but hey! Yes, there is a lot of news on the station (my only source of news b/c i don't watch tv at all and i'm definitely not a big web browser), but there are also all these other interesting programs. There is "The Praire Home Companion" which is SO funny - it copies the old-style radio-shows and has these little skits with just voices and noises. Most of the time, I'm cracking up in the car by myself but then i pause to think wonder why Liberal, White humor appeals to me? (okay, too much self-reflection and metacognition from my Multicultural credentialling class...)

Another show is Car Talk. They're these 2 mechanics that actually graduated from MIT. They're brothers and have such chemistry over the airwaves. Most of the time, i'm laughing only because they're laughs are so contagious, but I get very sound, helpful car information too.

And of course, there are a bunch of interview programs. Yesterday, Conan O'Brien was being interviewed. Very interesting guy...he mentioned that he aims for the conversations on his show to take on a "heightened sense of reality." He said that the talks he has with stars shouldn't be the same as one you'd have with someone on a subway. They should be better. It's that aspect about tv that makes the normal people feel so mundane. By "normal people," i guess i'm talking about myself even though i don't usually include myself in that category. But I've lived years and years in the past feeling like i wasn't very interesting. My conversations didn't mirror the quick-witted talk of tv (especially like in Gilmore Girls), and so I assumed breaks in the flow were REALLY wrong. The concept of "awkward silences" was a big taboo for me - I had to stay away from them if i wanted to keep my self-esteem/image in tact.

So i went to 2 extremes - i either talked NON-stop when i was having a conversation. Or I feared uncomfortable quiet moments so much that I stayed away from people I didn't know that well or even people I did know well if i didn't have something to talk about. either way, it totally stunted my growth as a listener because I was always trying to think of what to say next instead of valuing the other person's words. again, it's taken me years to even realize this and even more so to try to enhance my listening skills.

so if nothing else, NPR is helping me to be a more conscious listener b/c i can't talk back. see?? it's not just for nerdy-ness sake! =)