How to Start a Conversation

You don't need a whole elevator speech, but picking some detail that you will be happy to talk about can go a long way toward making the experience more fruitful. For instance, if you are visiting a quiet, elderly relative, think about family stories or photos you'd like to share. Of course, there are lots of social contexts when you can't predict the conversation. But you can still have ideas for interesting directions to steer the conversation.