The Detroit times., 1917-11-12
The One You Can Talk To
eY OR. FRANK CRANE
Copyright. 1915. by Frank Cranel
Is there one you can AZ to?

II so, you are fortunate. For one Of
the most important discoveries "A man or
woman makes on the little trip from the
cradle TO the grave. is the intelligent
likable, appreciative, stimulative compan-
ion i'm talk.
1t is well to study and think. n is well
to vision and plan, it is well to be energet-
ic in the market, and anon 70 retreat into
silence and take counsel with your own
heart, but best of all it is TO find friend
with whom you can talk things over.
President Eliot spoke of the five-foot
shelf Of books into which the quintes-
sence of literature might be compressed.
But five friends are better, who represent
the gist Of humanity, and mean more
cultural value and more fun
What JOY comparable to pouring out
the dregs of your heart, shaking the fluff
and debris from the hidden corners of
your mind. and turning your soul inside
out like a trousers pocket in the presence
of one who understands
II is JOY of the confessional plus
1t is companionship-plu
IL is love-plus.
1t is self-knowledge- plus.
You can love woman. and yet not be
able to talk to her; you can admire a
genius, appreciate a friend, esteem rel
ative, revere saint, and yet have no
freedom Of talk with them.
/ have seen man and woman living IN
marriage contentedly enough for twenty
years, and yet entirely unable to talk
freely together.
Well for you If you have one or two
with whom you can experience the gift
Of communion.
To talk satisfactorily you must find
that one who can measure with his COM
prehension and sympathy all your moods,
yagaries. doubts, convictions, antipa-
thies, enthusiasms, heats and frigiditieS.
sins and sanctities.
He may not hatter you, approve of all
you say. nor agree with your entire list
of opinions, but he is interested in them
He does not argue, nor fence and
thrust with you. He takes you, as he
takes nature, the trees, flowers and
storms, as he finds you He attends moro
to what you are than to what you ought
to be
He has no convictions TO which he
wants to win you. He seeks your aid in
no selfish plans Of his, He does not Judge
you. condemn. nor praise you
He just listens, and talks back
When you are with him you enjoy n
revel in frankness, a debauch Of self-ex-
precision.
With him you discover yourself As
you talk you find out what you really
think yourself With him you hardly
know what you believe. With him as
guide you explore yourself, finding
strange things.
You don't remember so much what he
said as what he led you on to say.
BY his stimulus you forge your creed,
you round off your opinion. you uncover
your tastes, your mind takes form, you
are born again.
For remaining ever within yourself
you become lost in clouds Of speculation,
in the dim fogs Of your own inexplcable
nature, in the uncertainties Of your own
decisions; YOU swamp yourself in tho
quagmre Of morbidity. or wander into
self-depreciation or fevered egotisms.
But talking to him you open the door,
the cleansing wind blows thur. doubts are
scattered, the sunsIjge enters and rub
bish is disclosed or beautiful treasures.
The man. or woman, you can talk TO r.
the gift Of gifts, your other self, your
true priest Of God.