Most Girls Like to Talk

It's not like I'm letting the cat out of the bag here. And for those who know me, it will come as no surprise that I am one of those girls. They've been subjected to my out-loud-thinking too often to think otherwise.

I talk to myself. I talk to my husband, my kids, my friends, my computer, my car, other drivers -- who can't possibly hear me, even if I wanted them to (I usually don't). And when I'm not talking out loud, as in lips-moving-sound-coming-out-of-my-mouth talking, I'm think-talking. Women do this. And no, it never stops; even if our lips aren't moving.

My daughter and I, my friends and I, can and do find endless things to converse about. What's not to say?! There are people to love, problems to solve, ventings to vent, clothing, coffee, cookies, grace and mercy to discuss and gush about how grateful we are for Jesus in our lives (this also happens with cookies and coffee, just not with the weight of eternity). We like to process, revisit and then process again.

I've even found (purely by accident, of course), that thinking out loud often embarrasses my kids. Who knew?! When it happens, I have to giggle to myself because they suddenly become the parent: "Maaaammmmmhhhh! Sssshhhh! People can hear you! Do you realize how loud you're talking?" And I, the child, secretly think: Duhhh, of course I do, that's why I'm doing it.

Talking about everything under the sun isn't generally an issue for boys. Boys aren't so much talkers as they are doers. I have seven sons and one husband (stating the obvious). Boys see and do. It's very stream-lined. That whole processing thing is generally just a waste of time, getting in the way of the doing of a thing. Although, I have to say that out of seven boys, I do have two talkers. The difference here is that my talker-boys are not summarizer-boys. When you ask most boys how their day was, you're lucky to get a belch with that, "fine." My two talker-boys will tell you stories about their day until the crickets are chirping. Still, because I know what I know about boys not being talkers, I listen (or at least try to listen) with interest. I figure that this way, when they're grown and married with children, we'll at least know a little about two of our boys' lives.

My late husband, Ray, used to say that I say things other people only think. Sometimes it was a compliment (at least I think it was). Other times he was making a point. Personally, I have times I'm glad I gathered the chutspa to say whatever-it-was-I-thought-needed-saying. These are the time when people tell me they were "so glad you said that! Someone needed to!" But, as often as not, sometimes I find myself wondering why in the world I felt that particular whatever "needed" to be said, because in hindsight maybe it didn't.

Sometimes, I say things I shouldn't say. Sometimes, they needed to be said. Sometimes, not so much. Every now and then my brain gets to be the boss of me.