This episode’s vocabulary
To speculate
verb — to form opinions about something without having the necessary information or facts; to make guesses.
Dramatic
adj. — highly effective; striking.
Meaningful
adj. — full of meaning, significance, purpose, or value.
While something away
phrasal verb — to spend or pass (time), esp. in a leisurely or pleasurable fashion.
Mundane
adj. — everyday, ordinary, or banal.
Engaging
adj. — charming and attractive.
Back-and-forth
idiom — moving first in one direction and then in the opposite one.
Continuity
noun — the fact of something continuing for a long period of time without being changed or stopped.
Viaduct
noun — a long, high bridge, usually held up by many arches, that carries a railway or a road over a valley.
Picturesque
adj. — (especially of a place) attractive in appearance, especially in an old-fashioned way.
Hamlet
noun — a small village, usually without a church.
Questions and answers
It's a while ago now. But I remember having a chat with my mother on the train going down to see some of our friends in England. It was a long journey. And my mum had forgotten her book. So we sat and talked the whole way down. At first, it was just about random things like what we would do when we got there and speculating about what the weather might be like. But then I remembered I saw this Reel on Instagram about things you should really ask your parents while they're still with you. So I broke out the questions, and we spoke about them. I think the reason I remembered the discussion so clearly is because the questions were quite deep. They included things like what do you want the most for your children? Or what do you want the most in the world for your children? And are there any family secrets left unsaid or unshared? The answers weren't too dramatic. But it was nice to spend that time talking with my mom about something meaningful and more involved than just, oh, who's your favourite singer, for example. It was a good way to while away the time, like I said. And when you think about it, hardly ever do you really talk about these things with your parents. So it certainly made an otherwise fairly mundane train journey pretty engaging. It was a nice back-and-forth. And it would give some sense of continuity from the past to the present and into the future. And it's not like there weren't other things to talk about, like the view from the windows as we passed over the viaducts, and through these sort of picturesque villages and hamlets as you get into England, but at the same time, you might also never get the chance to ask such things again. Oh, speaking of which, if I got the chance to have a similar conversation again, I think I might let Mom ask me the same questions. If somewhat modified ones, because I don't have children, for example. It would be interesting to compare answers and perspectives on life, how it's going and where it might be going.
And do you often have conversations with older people?
Not so much now. I live by myself.