> -- Tony Roy <ttony_at@...> wrote:
> Can anyone else offer some advice in how to begin a
> conversation?

I think of it as several steps.

First, if you don't already have the other person's
attention you need to get it with an "interrupter".
All an interrupter has to do is get them looking your
way. Examples are "Hi.", "Hey guys.", and for the
really daring, "Stop!". There aren't many choices
for interrupters. If you already have eye contact
the interrupter can be optional.

From there you can go to a very light question or
comment. The easiest for me are situational openers.
Before going to a situation, write down 2 things you
could be curious about. For example:

At a friend's party: "How do you know Kathy?"
At a speed dating event: "Have you done these before?"
At a shopping mall: "Does Banana Republic have good shoes?"
At a nightclub: "Do you like this music?"
At Starbucks: "Are those pumpkin drinks good?"

The third step is to ask a slightly deeper question or
offer an opinion, or both. Example: "Really? Those
pumpkin drinks sounded very odd to me. Was that your
impression, too, before you trired one?" (bla, bla), "Oh,
do you like to try new things a lot?" (bla, bla) "Have
you taken any unusual vacations?" (bla, bla) "Cool! I've
never been bungie jumping." (bla, bla) You get the idea.

--Bob