May I show You My Vacation Slides?

When visiting Utah last week and attending my son’s parents conference, several of us parents decided to have dinner together. I was seated next to my wife on one side and one of the parents on the other. He is a retired professor of many years from one of the famous and top universities in this country. I started the conversation asking him about his life, teaching position at the university, his kid at the school and other great questions (at least I think so) in order to engage him. He seemed to enjoy being asked the questions, talk about his life and he was very talkative. Yet it felt really weird. It was not a conversation, it was just me asking a series of questions and feeling like I am interviewing him. Perhaps he felt interrogated but I don’t think so.

After about 45 minutes of hearing him talk, I decided to stop asking questions and see if he may ask me a question or two.

There was silence.

After about 5 minutes he looks at me and says: “Let me ask you a question”
Excited, I was for a moment as I heard my voice say: “SURE, GO AHEAD”
He then proceeds and says: “Since you are one of the new parents at the school here, do you have any questions for me?”
“NO”, I shouted. Turning to my wife and asking her how her day is going.