Zvone – Inner Dialogue

The Value of a Good Question The Thought That Wouldn't Leave   A while ago, during one of those long conversations that somehow wander from one topic to another without any clear direction, somebody told me something interesting. "People who ask good questions are often far more useful than people who already have answers for everything." The sentence stayed somewhere in the back of my mind for days afterward. Not because it sounded particularly profound at first. In fact, when I heard it, I almost dismissed it as one of those clever internet phrases people like to repeat while drinking coffee and pretending they have solved life. But the more I thought about it, the more uncomfortable it became. Mostly because I realized it described me rather well. Sometimes I sit down with a tiny idea, barely worth noticing. A strange thought appears for half a second while washing dishes, smoking outside, walking somewhere, or reading something completely unrelated. Most people probab...

Where Did My Laughter Go? The Smile That Stayed Behind  A few weeks ago I found myself sitting at a table with a group of people I have known for years. It was one of those completely ordinary gatherings that seem so unimportant at the time that nobody would think of remembering them later. Someone had made coffee. Someone else had brought a cake. The conversation wandered wherever conversations among familiar people usually wander. A little about work, a little about children and grandchildren, a little about politics, and a little about how things used to be better, although nobody seemed entirely sure in what way. Then somebody made a remark. Today I have no idea what was actually said. The joke itself has long since disappeared from memory. What remained was the reaction. Around the table people burst out laughing. One man almost spilled his coffee. A woman beside him bent forward and wiped tears from her eyes. Even the person who made the joke started laughing at his own co...