In conversation terms I grew up late.   I was brought up to be respectful but that really equated to being concessive.  I rebelled on occasions but that would appear dismissive or sarcastic.

I don’t think I was able to have really effective and important conversations until my thirties.  It is now a skill I really prize.  The feedback people have been generous enough to give me has confirmed I have a tendency to be calm, to seek understanding and to help work out a way forward.

There is still room for error and work to be done.  Selfishly, Speak Easy is another vehicle for improving myself.  What I really hope is that it helps people have better conversations around important things.