The moment

Priya has finished her first half marathon in Dubai, and her friends are celebrating at her apartment afterward. Omar, a friend from her running club, finds her in the kitchen. She's proud and emotional; he's been quiet all evening. Listen for how the conversation turns from her big day to his restless feeling, and how she helps without pushing.

The conversation

OmarPriya
  1. Omar
  2. Priya
  3. Omar
  4. Priya
  5. Omar
  6. Priya
  7. Omar
  8. Priya
  9. Omar
  10. Priya
  11. Omar
  12. Priya
  13. Omar
  14. Priya
  15. Omar

Words to know

crying because you're happy, not sad

playful: don't praise me so much, or don't joke like that

you can't relax; you want to move or change something

feel that your life isn't moving forward

part of you wants it, part of you doesn't

Check yourself

1Which feelings does Priya describe after the race?
2What kind of restless is Omar?
3Why does Priya ask "Scared it won't work out, or scared that it will?"

Practice · 4 min

Round one: repeat every line in the gap. Round two: mute Priya and say her lines. Her "Restless how?" should sound curious, with a rise on "how." Round three: mute Omar. On "I'm fine," sound a little too quick, the way people sound when they're not really fine yet.

  1. OmarPriya, you finished the half marathon. How do you feel?
  2. PriyaHonestly? Proud, exhausted, and a little emotional. I cried at the finish line.
  3. OmarHappy tears, I hope. You've been training since January.
  4. PriyaHappy tears. My legs hurt, but I've never been this proud of myself.
  5. OmarYou should be. I couldn't run to the corner store right now.
  6. PriyaStop it. Anyway, you've been quiet all evening. Is everything OK?
  7. OmarI'm fine. I've been feeling a bit restless lately, that's all.
  8. PriyaRestless how? Like you can't sit still, or like you need a change?
  9. OmarThe second one. Four years in the same job, and I feel kind of stuck.
  10. PriyaThat makes sense. Have you thought about what you'd like to do instead?
  11. OmarActually, I've been looking at a design course, but I'm scared to start.
  12. PriyaScared it won't work out, or scared that it will?
  13. OmarHa. Both, probably. I have really mixed feelings about the whole thing.
  14. PriyaThen let's look at the course together this weekend. I'll bring coffee.
  15. OmarDeal. And maybe I'll start running too. Very slowly.

Say it today

Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.