How To Be Interesting

I read a good article last week that I thought was worth sharing: 7 Things The Most Interesting People All Have in Common.  Here's a summary:

1. Don't be boring.
   That is, in conversation, be brief and be positive.
2. Be a good listener.
3. Talk about the other person's interests.
4. Have three good stories on hand that entertain, inform, or engage.
5. Be charismatic—laugh, smile, be passionate, modulate your voice.
6. Be somewhere interesting.
7. Live an interesting life.  That could be as simple as hanging out with the most interesting people you know.

And with that, I want to tell you about some of the most interesting people I know.  They are the ones I like to listen to or be around anytime.

• My mom, Cathy.  Talk about charisma!  She probably has about 70% of all the charisma in the world, so if you feel like you don't have any—I'm sorry, my mom took it!
• Taylor Giddens.  He checks out for all seven.  He probably could stand to talk a little faster, but his Southern drawl makes up for it.
• Mandy Schlofman.  She has multiple stories on hand that typically entertain.  And when she has lip gloss on, her stories are infinitely more interesting.
• Clay Wood, my brother-in-law.  He has a bazillion hobbies, so he really shines at no. 7.
• Adam Miele, my brother-in-law.  I think he combines nos. 1 and 4 in a way that no other person does.  He tells you exactly what you need to know to understand the story he is telling.  I've never heard anyone so succinct and so engaging at the same time.  And they're almost always positive, but not cloying.  I like to hear his stories multiple times because they're so good.
• Mrs. Baldwin, my fourth-grade teacher.  Decades later, I still remember them quite well.  Mrs. Baldwin moved her eyebrows a lot when she talked.  I guess I recognized that she had charisma before I knew what charisma was.
• Professors: Dr. Hartley, Dr. Crafton, Dr. Hendricks, and Dr. Bias.  The interesting thing about all of these folks, is that they all know a lot about all kinds of subjects.  Maybe that's the 8th thing I'd add to the list—that people who are well-rounded are interesting.

Thing I'm thankful for: routines and cleanliness.