I was asked a seemingly simple question today.

"Stephanie, what's one thing you like and don't like about working at the paper?"

I was sitting around a table at Olive Garden with all of my female co-workers (plus one that used to work at the paper but left to do Tyler PR). In that 30 minutes I had laughed more than in the entire four weeks I've been here. I had been having such a good time.

So, of course, I wanted to say something intelligent (especially since one of my semi-bosses was there). I want these girls to like me.

But, what came out of my mouth?

"I don't know... I like writing and I like having a reason to be nosey."

WHAT? Where did that come from? What happened to my years of training in extemporaneous speaking? How did something so unthoughtful, unintelligent and ungenuine come out of my mouth at this inopportune time?

I interviewed a woman recently whose house had caught on fire the week prior to our talk and she was so, I want to use the words guarded and rude, but I know she was probably just really nervous. Well, I gave her my phone number because she was wary of talking about the fire (the insurance hadn't been determined yet). It wasn't 30 minutes later that she called me not once but twice with more things to say. She said she was never good with speaking and could answer my questions much more fluidly if I would just ask them one more time. I did, and she kept her word!

Well, that's what I would like to do now. I would like to take back that moment and answer the question with a true comment (not a gum smacking, hair twirling answer) :O)

The thing I like most about working at the paper is talking to people who are passionate about what they do. I love, crave, linger on the conversations I've had with folks where they are genuine. I love hearing a spark in a person's voice that comes from living their life in a way that makes them happy!

I don't know if I have that spark about my job yet. I really want to, but I just don't know if it's there or not.