One April day, at my western Pennsylvanian high school, I walked through the large double doors, and into the imposing brick structure with significantly less sleep than the 8-10 hours recommended for boys my age. In spite of my sleep, my mood stayed cheery, I asked questions in class, and I spend fifteen minutes talking to a seemingly random lunch lady. My friend (who had been similarly sleep-deprived that day) finally questioned: “Do you run on fairy farts?”

First off, as an extrovert, I talk to everyone. Spending fifteen minutes with a lunch lady is nothing. One time, I spent over an hour with a guy I met in a coffee shop. Another time, after stopping by a food truck and chatting up the chef, my morning was consumed figuring out how exactly one gets a degree in restaurant management. He was so passionate about his career, I just didn’t want our talk to end. The same passion he has for food, I have for talking.

When I strike up a conversation, I don’t think about how long it will take. I just talk. The value I want is the flow of information and ideas. Even if the other person has opinions that are different from my own. In the end, my dedication to conversation and extraversion means that talking to friendly strangers I didn’t intend to meet ends up takes a good portion of my time.

Some people go through life like a horse with blinders on. They always look straight ahead and don’t stop to talk to passers-by on their way to there destination. I do not, and I feel my life is better as a result. I learn new things, expand my network, and get connected with people I otherwise never would have met.

Conversations are a two-way street. So, I try to make sure the value of the talk is shared among its members. Talking to other people brings me joy, Hopefully, whoever I am talking to feels some of that joy too.

No, to answer the previous question my conversations are not run on “fairy farts.” I just believe in the power of giving others time.