"Looks like snow..." The discourse of conversation and more nicknames (pumpkin? ).

I think when Nick mentioned the discourse of "truck drivers" I knew the class was starting to grasp the working concept. There is nothing mystifying about the concept, and I think its meanings are becoming clearer. Thanks again to all those who shared their name history. Often we overlook our names, but most likely they have an interesting story behind them, especially in the ways they get changed by family and friends into "pet names"--no offense to Rocco of course. And thinking about conversation, Arthur made a great comment--can we consider watching tv a conversation when there isn't an actual oral exchange (except for Gina and Camelle and Tracie who admit to yelling at the tv)?

I enjoyed the discussion about meta-level understandings too:

"Meta-level understandings and concepts apply across situations. They're typically gained through a combination of activity and reflection--through first stepping into a situation to participate in whatever ways are appropriate to it, and then stepping back out of the situation to think about what it was like, what you and others did while you were in the situation, and why you did what you did..." (Kutz 12, my emphasis).

It is a fancy phrase for something we are going to be building on this semester. The key is not to get hung up on pinning down terms but rather seeing that they are flexible. One last note about conversations. Vita had mentioned that their are some conversations that are emotional, that aren't necessarily about ideas, opening up what conversation is and does. Camelle added to this by saying something about two people being "right here" or "on the same level". My question--what puts us on this level with another? Or maybe a reading? A film? A song? When and why do we have these "successful" conversations?