Connection

In a group I was leading today, we were talking about the importance of connecting with each other and the topic of introductory small talk came up.  Several people use, what I consider meaningless banter, when first meeting someone.  They are good at being social and I am not.  I am successful at keeping initial conversations relatively superficial and light but not meaningless and usually not conventional and a bit of a challenge.  I tend to stay clear of topics like the weather, sports, TV shows or jobs in favor of more personal topics, like personal interests or family.   I also tend to go into deeper personal topics pretty quickly, if the other person is willing.  I much prefer making a genuine connection.