My kindergarten teacher told me 'the quiet kids have the best stories' and it stuck with me

I was about five and drawing alone, and my teacher, Mrs. Ellis, said that to the class. For a long time, I thought being quiet meant I was boring. But her comment made me start to really listen to other people instead of just waiting for my turn to talk. Now, in my job as a nurse, I give patients extra time to share things they might not say at first. Has anyone else had a simple comment from childhood shape how you connect with people now?

3 comments

3 Comments

elizabethmason14d ago

I'm still trying to learn that, since my own stories are mostly about paint mixing.

the_tyler14d ago

Oh man, my buddy totally learned that from @mia700 last week.

mia70014d ago

That's a good way to put it. I try to ask one more open-ended question than feels natural, especially with new team members. Something like, "Walk me through how you set that up," often gets you the real story behind a finished task.