Non stop talking post lockdown

I don’t deny it, I am a talker. I always think I’m making up for lost time. Because when I was a child I was really quiet especially in school. People laugh nowadays when I say my reports used to always say ‘needs to speak up more in class’.  Ever since 6th form, I’ve become more chatty (and opinionated). And now lockdown restrictions are ending I’m finding I’m talking more than ever.

It feels like I can’t shut up. And I think I need to rein it back a bit because people are going to get sick of me non stop talking.

Maybe it’s just me, but hopefully it’s not.

After around 15 months of working from home when I’m used to being in the office 5 days a week.

After N’s been back at school for some time now.

Now tennis has started back again.

Children’s parties are on.

While I’m not going on holiday or days out, or meeting up with lots of people, we’re starting to see more people.  And it feels like once I start talking I can’t stop.

After over a year of not seeing people, and not really talking to people other than work colleagues, it’s like a torrent of words spouts from my mouth and I can’t stop.

I’ve always been quite chatty, but I think I’m worse now after having had a quiet year.

The other week I dropped off a card at a friend’s house, and stood outside for a chat. Poor N was still sat in the car while we chatted for nearly an hour. We did have over a year to update on, but I had to remind myself to let her speak, and ask questions. 

I don’t want to be the person who doesn’t listen. Or the person who people get sick of talking with because they can’t get a word in edgeways.

Sometimes I finish a conversation and say goodbye, then wonder what they’re thinking. Whether they have a big sigh of relief. Or whether they are tired from listening.

I hope my friends tell me to let them speak if they’re struggling or I’m going on for too long. It doesn’t seem to happen the same with my brother, but maybe that’s because I’ve seen him more frequently over the last year if only through the window and in short doses.  It just seems to be with friends.

So I’m apologising now to all my friends I’ll be seeing post lockdown. Especially the first time we see each other. And to ask that they tell me to take a breath and be quiet so they can speak if I’m getting too much. It’s a bit like my blogging. Sometimes I just have so much to say, I can’t stop.

Hopefully it’s not just me that’s finding being with people again means there’s a lot of talking to do