Clerking in conversation
One thing that I've noticed about myself recently is that when I meet people for the first time, I fall into a rhythm of chit-chat that is my style of medical clerking.
Over the weekend, Stardust and I attended a neighbourhood get-to-know-you party and it was so much fun meeting all these mums from different backgrounds. We have quite an eclectic mix of people where we are staying, probably because it is a fairly new neighbourhood and there are many expatriates living in this area.
Later on, I was telling my mum all about these cool new people that I met - a pastry chef who sailed solo across the pacific ocean with his wife in a tiny cutter, a yoga instructor who used to teach in exotic beachside resorts, a professional wakeboarder, etc etc - she asked me what I told them about myself.
I realised that I hadn't even told them anything. Nothing about myself at all.
At the end of the party, I knew how many children they had, where their parents were from, what hobbies they have...even their sleeping and eating habits! I don't think I said anything about myself. In fact, I don't think any of them asked me anything. It's not because they were being self-centred, not in the slightest. I think I just kept the conversation rolling by conducting a medical interview...and I don't think they noticed how much they were telling me.
For example, I don't recall asking anyone directly about their medical problems but I am sure that by the end of each conversation I knew what illnesses they suffered with and what kind of medication and treatments they received.
I have learned over my years of training how to talk to people and how to keep my personal life to myself.
I wonder if this means that people don't really get to know me very well unless they happen to ask the right questions.
I'm not sure if this is a good or a bad thing.
Over the weekend, Stardust and I attended a neighbourhood get-to-know-you party and it was so much fun meeting all these mums from different backgrounds. We have quite an eclectic mix of people where we are staying, probably because it is a fairly new neighbourhood and there are many expatriates living in this area.
Later on, I was telling my mum all about these cool new people that I met - a pastry chef who sailed solo across the pacific ocean with his wife in a tiny cutter, a yoga instructor who used to teach in exotic beachside resorts, a professional wakeboarder, etc etc - she asked me what I told them about myself.
I realised that I hadn't even told them anything. Nothing about myself at all.
At the end of the party, I knew how many children they had, where their parents were from, what hobbies they have...even their sleeping and eating habits! I don't think I said anything about myself. In fact, I don't think any of them asked me anything. It's not because they were being self-centred, not in the slightest. I think I just kept the conversation rolling by conducting a medical interview...and I don't think they noticed how much they were telling me.
For example, I don't recall asking anyone directly about their medical problems but I am sure that by the end of each conversation I knew what illnesses they suffered with and what kind of medication and treatments they received.
I have learned over my years of training how to talk to people and how to keep my personal life to myself.
I wonder if this means that people don't really get to know me very well unless they happen to ask the right questions.
I'm not sure if this is a good or a bad thing.
Labels: Clinical observations, idiosyncracies
posted by tscd at 12:21 pm
2 Comments:
I think you have always been very private, not wanting to give anything of yourself away. Since i started reading your blog last year it struck me immediately that you were probably shy. You call yourself TSCD which is an acronym and you hide your face in your profile photograph so inherently, I think that is who you are. You sound gregarious and probably are in person. I have a friend who seems very confident sometimes to the point of aggression but she is so shy, she would eat a raw potato in a restaurant rather than send it back.
Val
val: that's very perseptive of you. thank you.
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