Social thoughts.

I keep thinking about how yesterday, when I'd ask people about their jobs and what they did with their days, they didn't expect detailed requests. "I'm a programmer. I'm a software engineer. I work on the backend of apps that are designed to connect hospitals and health care professionals..." And we get into how difficult it can be to diagnose diseases and the importance of having people communicate freely with each other for progress to happen in the medical field.

A man says he's an artist. "Painting, sculpture, metalwork?" Metalwork. "Iron, copper, tin?" Silver. "Do you make jewelry? What pieces do you make?" And we get into a conversation about the meaning of art, the way the raw cost of silver was a deciding factor several decades ago, and how knowing someone puts one of his pieces on their hand and thinks it beautiful has more satisfaction than any gallery show.

I also keep thinking about how when I was out front, ushering people in, I'd be scanning the sidewalk while focused in on the conversation I was having, pop out of it to greet and direct, and pop right back in. "I can admire Robert Rodriguez's commitment to do-it-yourself filmmaking and - hello! Here to vote? Wonderful, you're in the right place, come on in! Either door's fine, head to the left - do-it-yourself filmmaking and not find him compelling as a director, which are two different things." Stuff like that. It felt like the other people out front weren't looking around, and I don't know how locked into the conversations they were, either.

I also kept passing on the advice to talk around it when they couldn't remember something. The name of a movie? Describe it, maybe I'll remember the title or I'll figure out which one it is. The one by Welles with Heston and Leigh in Mexico? I know it but I can't remember it, but I know it, so keep talking about the shadows and - Touch of Evil! That's it!

Or I'd say, this isn't worth arguing about, it's either This or That, it's a fact we can check, let's just check.

Or I'd keep saying, don't push yourself to remember something when you're frustrated, just talk around it. I did it a fair amount, and it kept things going. It's not a strategy I've seen anyone else employ, which is a shame, because it works so well. I feel like I should talk about it more.