I feel like an idiot! I definitely suck at making small talk, especially when it comes unexpected. So my mom handed over the phone to me to talk to my cousin who's back at her hometown. As soon as I got on the phone, my IQ dropped 80 points and I feel unconscious. Here's a sample of how awkward the conversation is:
Me: "So, what time did you get back?"
Cousin: "At 8"
Me: "Oh that's great! That's very good. That's good..."
I sound like an idiot. I also asked her a question that I've asked her before, about the social network thing, and I already knew her answer. Who does that? I sound so dumb and forgetful (when in fact I'm not). As soon as I got on the phone, I feel a lot of pressure to keep the conversation going and leave out awkward silences, but I could tell she was getting a bit impatient because I kept asking stupid questions and making stupid comments. I didn't know how to end the convo so I just left it hanging with a big awkward silence at the end, and then she finally said "Ok, take care, bye!" which I reciprocated.
Looking back, I realize how horrible my convo skills are, I just kept thinking about it replaying it back in my head. I don't know why I suddenly went from being aware to unaware. I know I freaked my other cousin out when I last spoke with him. I was brave enough to answer the phone, but I dont know if I could call it an "achievement" because I definitely failed at the convo. But, I guess like they say, learn from your failures and constantly improve.