Little Miss Chatterbox

Anyone who knows me, will know that I love to talk! I was forever getting in trouble at school for talking too much. Even when the teacher moved me, I’d just chat to the new person I was put beside instead! I love people, I love to hear what’s going on in other people’s lives, I love telling stories. I enjoy debate and discussion and deep conversations too. In certain situations, I have to try very hard not open my mouth and express my opinion. Sometimes I know what I’m thinking will not go down well and I literally pinch myself to stop myself from speaking. (Over the years I’ve got better at this.) I am endlessly amazed at people who are so quiet that they can sit silently even if they disagree with everything being said or have a brilliant story that’s relevant. The best way to know that I disagree (when I’m trying to be polite) is when I go quiet. The only other times I’m very quiet is when I’m very sad or very sick!

I especially love when I have good news to share. I remember when I got the result of my degree, I rang Andrew, my parents, my sisters, my friends, and none of them answered the phone. It nearly drove me insane not being able to share my news! (They eventually all rang back at the same time- typical!)

I get excited about meeting up with friends and family to have a good chat about everything going on. My sister, Hannah, often says that I figure out what I think by chatting it through- that’s absolutely correct.

I’m surprisingly good at keeping secrets though, provided I have one person to talk to them about. But I find it very hard to be alone in my thoughts.

My list of things that I want to tell Andrew and discuss through with him is getting bigger by the day. I find it immensely frustrating but he’s not here to talk through every aspect of life - the exciting stuff but also the mundane, all the worries going through my head and the plans for the future. Andrew and I always whiled away the holidays chatting and having cups of tea and biscuits, although I have no doubt he won’t be missing some of the stupid things I asked him about! I was the kind of person that wouldn’t ring somebody I didn’t know until I’d had a practice conversation with Andrew. I made him do it several times to practice different things they might say.

I must admit he was extremely patient putting up with my nonsense. But he definitely teased me with some of the stupid answers that he would give on our pretend phone call! Now I just pick up the phone and hope for the best (probably what I should have done all along!)

At the end of term, I got Joel‘s school report, and I can honestly say it was the best report I have ever read. I was immensely proud of him, so much so I cried for 30 minutes. Joel couldn’t understand why I was upset when I kept saying his report was so good. I have read it an embarrassing number of times since.

I desperately wanted to share it and I did eventually share it with the grandparents and a few close friends but I knew no one would’ve been prouder than his daddy.

It’s a good job that I believe in eternal life after death because I’m gonna need a long time to catch up!

Over and out,

Ruth