Conversations With My Brother
January 24th, 2010 | Categories: Family | 12 CommentsI have no trouble talking to my mom on the phone to keep in touch when I’m away at school, but my brother is a different story. He’s the type of person that is only good to talk to on the phone if there is a specific reason for calling and sees absolutely no need to make “small talk” when there is an awkward lull in the conversation. Most people have a general sense of when it’s their turn to bring up a new subject in a conversation or prompt the other with a question, but my brother has absolutely no qualms with one-word answers and shrugs. He also has zero interest in my life, all of which make phone conversations with him very difficult.
Our conversations over the phone usually go like this:
Me: Hey, how’s everything?
Brother: Good.
M: Yeah? How’s school?
B: Busy.
M: That sucks. Lots of homework?
B: Yeah.
M: Things good with your friends?
B: Yep.
M: How’s Mom?
B: Good.
M: Tell her I say hi, okay?
B: Okay.
M: How are the dogs?
B: Good.
M: Well… I’m glad to hear everything is good with you. Take care, okay?
B: Okay.
Color me surprised when I called home yesterday and we talked on the phone for two hours! No, that is not a typo – we did talk for two hours. I don’t even think I’ve talked with my mom for that long on the phone! As much as I loved properly talking to my brother, I know that this two hour conversation is a one-off. No doubt that next time he and I talk, it’ll be back to those one-word answers…
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Hi, I'm Manda. I'm a college student studying communications and languages. I like to read, shop, bake, and travel. I have a tendency to listen to my favorite songs on repeat for hours on end. Sometimes I catch myself thinking in a language other than English. 
My brothers are the same! Usually when my brothers call, it’s to ask a specific thing. They’re not really good at small talk whatsoever, and it gets pretty awkward sometimes. I don’t think I’ve had a two-hour conversation with either of them before. The longest might have been thirty minutes! Do you think it’s a guy thing?
I think it’s a brother thing, as I have talked to guys on the phone for longer amounts of time than I have with my brother. Then again, my brother is quite the character and likes to make simple things difficult for me :P
It could have to do with his age. My brother is 12, and he’s the exact same way right now. I think adolescent boys have better things to do than talk to their family members. :P
I agree with Clem. My brother used to do that exact same thing (using as few words as possible) when I called home a few years ago. Now, we can actually sustain a normal conversation on the phone. (He’s in his 20′s now.)
Then again, with him I also think it has to do with distance. The longer and further we’re apart, the easier it is to talk to him.
I don’t think I could sustain a conversation on the phone with my brother, because we have such dissimilar interests and outlooks. I also think it has to do with the age difference (6+ years) between my brother and I that makes it hard to relate.
I really hate speaking to anyone on the phone who cannot hold a conversation. In fact, I resent being on the phone for this very reason. I simply do not have the patience!
I think because he’s your brother and he knows you so well, subconsciously he probably feels that there’s not point in having a conversation. I find that with most of my family members, it’s the same way, except with my grandmother. That woman just yaps entirely too much!
Lol, one-word answers are usually the extent of my conversations with my brother too…interspersed of course with the occasional rant about something terrible I’ve done (like cooked a meal he doesn’t like) or not done (for instance, his ironing). *rolls eyes* I think most guys that age are like that though – not terribly good communicators at the best of times, but particularly not with family. I think (=hope) they outgrow it eventually though! Lol. That’s good that you did have that one long convo with him though, even if it was likely a one-off thing. It sounds nice. :)
I stop asking after the first question. Sometimes I’ll say I’ll not bother next time, but like you every now and then you’ll have a fantastic conversation that makes every other pointless time worth it.
I hope you have better convos as these in the future, you nver know, maybe he’s growing up?
I always have a lot to talk about with my brother! I guess we’re just weird like that :P
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