TLC at GLC

I had the most delightful conversation with a charming man at GLC on Monday.
Well, really, it was about a thirty to forty-five-second conversation which we had anywhere from 15 to 20 times. And it just kept getting more delightful with each repeat.

To be honest, things started out slowly and there was a time when I wondered if I'd be better off just giving up attempting to talk to this man. But once we got past trying to identify his interests, and discovered that he had gone to a Catholic school (which he really liked) in Lansing, we were on a roll. I was able to pinpoint two Catholic schools which he thought *might* have been where he attended. But he wasn't sure. After a few minutes the name of another one seemed to slip out of his mouth and when I repeated it - he was sure that was the school he had enjoyed for so many years.
From there, we were trying to figure out the name of the street upon which he had grown up. And, sure enough, a short time later he said the name of a street which I know to be near his school. He determined that street was the location of his childhood home.

And, so, our conversation began:
Him telling me the name of the school he attended and liked a lot, and the name of the street upon which he grew up. (With me reminding him of the street name as necessary.)
Me commenting that the street was very close to the school, and asking if he walked to school.
Him confirming that, yes, he did walk to school every day. And liked it. Then asking me the name of the street I lived on in Lansing.
Me, answering.
Him repeating it. "Yes. Clemens."
And, somehow, that always got us back to talking about the school he liked so much.

Truthfully, I do not know how long the two of us sat together repeating that conversation. But I do know every second of it was time well-spent. When I first sat down with this man, he seemed a bit unsure of me. But by the time I had to leave he was smiling ear-to-ear, shaking my hand, and thanking me for visiting. And, while I don't know if he'll remember me the next time we see each other, at least now I know how to get him engaged in a conversation.

Is there someone with whom you have been having trouble communicating? My hope is this little story will give you the inspiration to persevere with TLC until you encounter a break-through.