If someone starts a conversation with you, gently encourage yourself to disclose a little more than usual. It’s tempting to respond to, “Do you have any siblings?” with simply, “Yes, one younger brother,” but stretch it to, “Yes, one younger brother, but we were five years apart, so by the time I went to college he was still in middle school and every time I came home I felt like I had to get to know him again. Now that we’re both grown-ups we’re buddies. He’s an ER doc in Minneapolis.” Likewise, the answer to “Where are you from?” can shift from, “Houston,” to, “Houston, but I haven’t lived
...more
