No Time
Perhaps, I'm old school. Perhaps, I'm too indoctrinated in what used to be the social norm to even
consider walking away from a conversation that I've started or turning away my attention to someone or something else. Why would I start a conversation if I wasn't going to stay to hear the answer? Yet, this happened three times within a few hours where I was asked something and I began to respond only to be a) walked away from twice and b) in mid-reply, turned away from to talk to someone else.
All three times, they came back to finish the conversation. The first time, I continued from where I'd been left mid-sentence. The second time, I abbreviated my response and the third, I kept it to the business on hand and then left.
Was it the time of day that caused everyone to rush around or has it become the norm to be a multi-tasking indifferent-seeming talker? I pondered this as I drove home and avoided the multi-tasking drivers who cut me off or flew by but didn't get an answer until I got home and found myself, mid-conversation, being asked if I was ever going to finish feeding the dogs. It seems it's more important to keep conversation succinct.
Is this going to change my way of communicating? Perhaps, but I hope, I will never be 'the norm,' because everyone has a story to tell whether to vocalize it or not. It's all fodder to a writer as they craft a future character, scene, or role.