I absolutely loved your “In defence of small talk” (issue 114) article. Catching up with a friend and having small talk is vital to one’s mental health. Just having that connection with someone is what we all crave and need. The “Coffee?” text is a part of our phone vocabulary – it’s not that we are especially thirsty; it’s that we need a chat. Coffee is code for chat. Talking about a range of miscellaneous issues can be so therapeutic. Of course, in many cases, small talk leads to bigger issues. Small talk is often the icebreaker to introducing bigger, more complicated discussions. Luckily, I have several friends who are big small-talk chatters. These exchanges certainly enrich my week. Discovering new eateries and cafés in
