The Conversation

You start expecting small talk, sprinkled with awkward silence, and just a dab of trivial conversation about what each one does, if they come here often, or what music they like.

But sometimes.... sometimes it's so much more. Sometimes you start talking to that person, and she doesn't look at you funny when you say that you might every once in a while have a messenger window open of that person you're really into and stare at it, hoping to see a "(girl you're into) is writing a message" blink at the bottom of the window, or just looking aimlessly at the 80x80 pixel (which is absurdly small really) picture they have of themselves. When you say that you've never had sex, but always made love, she doesn't think it's a cheesy pick-up line you always use, no, she can see it in your eyes, you mean it, you feel it.

A good conversation shapeshifts effortlessly through an amalgam of subjects, from the trivial to the emotional and stopping by at the existential. From the ludicrous pension system putting a strain on the sustainability of natural resources due to population piramids, to how do they manage to keep the stripes in a tube of toothpaste parallel all the way through... and once or twice in a lifetime a girl says something breathtaking. When asked to explain why she would avoid all eye contact with me, a pretty colombian girl once replied, "because I'm afraid you'll see through me and into my feelings". I'll never forget that moment for the rest of my life, I won't forget her for the rest of my life, and that's what a conversation is all about. Building those unforgettable vignettes that stay with you until you take your last breath.

A good conversation feeds on itself. When you observe, both parts intensify their dialogue, they talk faster, are more creative, and bounce off every possible subject. It's a flurry of ideas and emotions... and you're sharing it with this person, this conversation will be unique and unreproducible. This conversation was shared by both, and no one else.

A good conversation makes you want to be a better man (or woman). This girl challenges you, she's smart and you both feel that you have to be on your toes, each one surprising the other with their wit or their heart... Her strengths don't intimidate you, they invigorate you and you're left asking yourself, "where did this woman come from?".

The perfect conversation, nonetheless, ends shortly after sunrise. You look at your watch, and it's 6 am, and you're on a natural high. By now, you're most probably holding her and she has the most rapturing smell... her hair, her skin... this is what life is made of, this is when you wish you could freeze time. This is the most pure of all feelings, this is when you start visualizing the possibilities... dreams and aspirations... you've seen the best of that person, you will not see her like this ever again. Regardless of whether this encounter might blossom into a lifelong, deep and meaningful relationship, you will still never see her like you did at dawn. The love will be more real, the emotions and the actions will be more real, true... it will just be different. Not bad different, just different.

When you say goodbye, and walk outside, you feel the cool morning breeze, you can feel the faint humidity in the air. Everything seems fresher, and more intense, colors jump out, you're alive, or at least you feel it. Nonetheless, on the exterior you look like shit, and everyone in the train back home stares at you, some will think "lucky bastard, he got some last night", but those who have had the conversation will know, they can see it in your face. They can recognize that smile a mile away. The smile says it all, inside that train, looking out the window, you're mentally going through the whole evening, smiling when she said something cute, and maybe even letting loose a small chuckle when you remembered her embarrasing comment about having granny panties on, she'll probably be hating herself for it, but you think it's adorable. You'll cringe thinking of when you told her how you love Star Wars, but....

...you'll close your eyes when you think of that first kiss.