Beech Tree News Network

“Do you think there are more pigeon-toed women than there are men? “ I said this to first wife Bett as we sat talking.
What is small-talk worth? What do we learn from it? Do we do much of it anymore? How much does it define the thoughts and personalities of people? How much better can we know them through small talk-when there is no posturing or “face”?
Someone said there is more to be learned from our founding fathers in the few recorded moments of their small talk.
For example, when President Truman and General Mac Arthur- although not  considered founding fathers-met at Wake Island during the Korean War, to talk about the conduct of the War, President Truman could have said, “General do you wash your own socks and underwear?”
Knowing MacArthur, one couldn’t imagine what a personal affront that would have been to the General-whom Truman disliked a whole lot; and at times called him a “little Caesar” wanna-be.
Then Harry Truman may have told the General, “I’ve always washed my own underwear and socks-as President I still do.  I would never ask everyone to do that for me.”  (Truman spoke the truth)
Much of our knowledge of people in Biblical times is probably lost because most small talk was left out of the translation from the Greek and the Hebrew- when the men of the Bible sat at the city gates, or took a work-break in the fields and vineyards and engaged in small talk, such as: “Hey Lige, Zeke, Sam, and Hezzy, what’s going on, you boys working hard?”
“Naw, just taking it hard… SMALL TALK.
Jesus made small talk: “Consider the lilies-they toil not neither do they spin- God takes care of them.
After Jesus’ resurrection he appeared on the shore of the Sea of Galilee where some of the disciples were fishing.  Jesus called, “Any fish boys?” They said no, “Well”, Jesus said, “ You’ve got your net on the wrong side of the boat-throw it on the other side.” (John 21lbs.) They did : 153 large fish.  SMALL TALK.
Once when President Franklin Roosevelt was meeting with some of his tops leaders he said, “Let’s call a recess.  You know, recess was always my favorite time in school.” SMALL TALK- but it spoke volumes about the man.
Abe Lincoln is always depicted as very serious.  He loved SMALL TALK.  One when looking out of the window he said to a staff member, “That woman down there just fell.  She reminds me of a duck- she’s got a waddle when she walks and down on her behind.” 
The pigeon- toed question? Bett has no opinion.
Kindest regards…