You're Pulling My Leg by Allen Wolf - a great conversation starter!

 So here I was looking around the room this past holiday season, my relatives were either busy watching TV, gaming in another room, or eating.  I recalled a book I had checked out earlier sitting on my desk, "You're Pulling My Leg" by Allen Wolf.  "The Ultimate Storytelling Game."  

When I first received it, I thought,"I'm going to need this book just in case that awkward silence shows up and we all have nothing more to say."  Well, the time had come, yep, we had little more to say after exchanging pleasantries.  I asked one of my sons, "Would you like to look at a book I have?  I think it might be something you might find interesting."

My eldest son is single.  He is tall, tan, lean and handsome, but he works a lot, and as he put it, "I don't have time for dating."  However, he has expressed interest in women.  I wondered what kind of conversation does he have with these ladies he encounters?  So he took a look at Wolf's book.  His eyebrows raised and was impressed with the icebreakers.  "Oh I like this one....and that one too."  So we decided to role-play, I felt he best be prepared if he wants to have quality connections in the future.  I said, "These are the kind of conversations you can start with anyone and it doesn't have to be someone you are interested in dating."  He was cool with that.  So we began randomly selecting icebreakers.  Others in the household were listening.

"Tell me about a time when you felt alone."

"Tell me about something you have learned about yourself."

"Tell me about a day when everything went right."

"Tell me about a fun vacation experience."

There were so many icebreakers to choose from.  We had a great time just talking.  However, with a book like this you can use it in all sorts of ways: counseling, gaming, advising, teaching, etc.  We talked for about 30 minutes and learned more things about ourselves that we didn't know or bother to think about.

Before long, the energy was back in the room and all were talking about a variety of things: sports, work, friendships, gifts, favorite shows, etc.

I think of the many singles that have long distance friendships, relatives who haven't seen one another in a long time, and just couples who want to have more in-depth conversations that have nothing to do with the day-to-day grind...yes, this is one of those helpful books that could indeed spark great communication.

Thanks for sharing Allen Wolf!

You can get this book on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

Nicholl McGuire is the owner and contributor of this blog.