If you agree to meet a friend for lunch, you'll be there, right? You won't see a single person waiting in the lunch place and think,"Heck, just one person showed. Forget it" and leave. After all, an audience is valuable and that friend agreed and now is ready to talk. I hope you followed the new rule and made sure you have a pad and pen handy. You can't keep all your ideas in your head without losing some so you'll jot down a word or two to keep topics and subjects handy to get back to. Besides, you never know. The comments you make and the insights that friend shares may be the most valuable parts of the day. Maybe the week.
It is quite possible that the most valuable part of the conversation between you two is the part you contribute. Even if you forget the pad and pen or you see some freezing on your friend's face when you pick up the pen, it can easily happen that the friend's comments spark a memory, or better still a perspective on a memory that you don't recall until later in the day or even the next day. But then, your discovery of a new perspective on a memory, on an experience, on a goal, maybe a new view of yourself energizes you enough. You look up some stuff in Google. You write a note of love or appreciation or you make an offer of a trip. You dig out an old photograph or open that book you meant to finish.
Unless we turn into our own secretaries, we are going to forget many experiences but a little chat can take us in exciting and valuable directions.
