The Need for Honest Conversation

I go to lunch occasionally with a fellow who served on the city council and whose viewpoint I often disagreed. However, we do have some common interests, jazz, Chicago, and most importantly, the belief in honest dialogue about difficult issues. It is through these pow-wows that I have formed a positive opinion about a person that many people I know are unable to stomach.

I am not setting myself up to be angelic, certainly there are times when I don't want to play nice with people who's viewpoint is polar-opposite of mine, but my experience has taught me that to have any chance for any person to budge from their position requires trust and trust requires genuine listening and empathy. And, yes, it requires budge a little from your own position too.

I wonder how many people have honest conversations these days? There are so many issues that we should talk about. The function of race, gender, wealth, religion, sexuality are some things that come immediately to mind. Probably because they push our buttons more than other things. But what if people had dialogues with people who are different from them about topics like these? Could it make things perceptively better or worse? I don't know, but I'm always up to a good conversation.