When was the last time you had a conversation? And I mean an actual conversation, one where you learned about more than just the surface value of a person, one that lasted more than a few text messages, or one that would be remembered the next morning without a hung-over fog.

Conversation is a dying art and it saddens me.

And yes I call it an art because that is what it is. The ability to form words and sentences by adding emotion and inflection, the ability to convey a message through sound and the painting of words is most definitely an art.

I miss conversations. I have always enjoyed talking to people and learning their stories, it’s the main reason why I decided to become a journalist.

In this day of technology people don’t need to speak to one another, they can text it, tweet it, post it, e-mail it or Facebook it. Who needs vocal cords when you have technology?

So I challenge you to use those vocal chords that are probably dusty from lack of use.

Go up to a person, it can be a stranger or an acquaintance, sit down with them and have a conversation. It can be about anything, don’t force it. Ask them about their family, their hometown, or their favorite summer vacation.

People are full of stories that can provide lessons, laughs, emotions, and yes you can communicate via technology and read that same story, but it doesn’t have the same effect.

When you speak to a person, face-to-face, you gain added knowledge about the story and about the people themselves; you hear the emotions involved with the story.

Have a conversation. Do that once a week. Learn about people. Talk to people. Practice the art of conversation.