BACK TO THE MOTEL

To see how all of the STATE skills fit together in a touchy conversation, let’s return to the motel bill. Only this time, Carole does a far better job of bringing up a delicate issue.

BOB: Hi, Honey, how was your day?

CAROLE: Not so good.

BOB: Why’s that?

CAROLE: I was checking our credit card bill, and I noticed a charge of forty-eight dollars for the Good Night Motel down the street. [Shares facts]

BOB: Boy, that sounds wrong.

CAROLE: It sure does.

BOB: Well, don’t worry. I’ll check into it one day when I’m going by.

CAROLE: I’d feel better if we checked right now.

BOB: Really? It’s less than fifty bucks. It can wait.

CAROLE: It’s not the money that has me worried.

BOB: You’re worried?

CAROLE: It’s a motel down the street. You know that’s how my sister found out that Phil was having an affair. She found a suspicious hotel bill. [Shares story—tentatively] I don’t have anything to worry about, do I? What do you think is going on with this bill? [Asks for other’s path]