Chatterboxd

When I was in high school, I just jabbered, jabbered, jabbered all the time to my grandmother, who tolerated the incessant talking and preaching.

Even at seventeen, when other girls were hanging out with their boyfriends, I would go talk to my group of girlfriends and then go bother my grandmother with stories about what had happened at our school, in our hometown, and in the news. (I didn’t spread gossip to my grandma, unless it was well-known/established gossip. Pregnancy speculation? No. Pregnancy confirmation? Yes.)

I didn’t bother any boys because I didn’t like any of the boys I went to high school with, even though many of them have grown up to be wonderful men and fathers.

It feels funny to say that – so often, men say things like wonderful women and mothers – so I’ll say it like that, for laughs.

Even now, I feel guilty. I wish I’d done more listening than talking — especially when it came to chatting with my grandmother, who had so many interesting stories to tell.

I’ll always wish I could do more listening.