Here's the thing about talk: It sometimes takes on a life of its own. Gossip gets bigger and juicier. Drama gets more traumatic. We know its power, so why not channel talk into positive momentum?

Many folks from economic development organizations in Over-the-Rhine (OTR) are gathering to do just that. It begins with the conversation, that is, attentive talk and active listening.

In March, 30 people from the OTR Chamber of Commerce, OTR Foundation, Merchants of Main, the Brewery District, OTR Arts, Vine Street Central Business District, 3CDC, the City of Cincinnati, OTR Vitality and the Corporation of Findlay met over a working lunch at Lavomatic.

Each month, the conversation continues at the Art Academy of Cincinnati, focused on the work of each organization and how we can support one another to do more, better, faster. The conversation is powerful, proactive and productive.

So you wanna know what's the buzz in OTR?

Second Sunday on Main, the hip, free, street festival, is returning for another five months of music, vendors, shopping, food, fun dancing in the streets Produced by OTR Chamber of Commerce.

The OTR Memory Project will collect personal interviews, family photographs, written recollections, and other evidence of life in OTR. Spearheaded by the OTR Foundation.

Have you been to the new shops on Vine Street? The new wine store at Findlay Market? Theater in OTR? Tell me about it.

Virtual communities are more than just talk with fingertips and keyboards. They can serve as a real vehicle to connect with one another and inspire action through words.

In 2006, my friend Deborah, a marketing-savvy entrepreneur living in Oakley, started Girlfriendology.com, a virtual community for women. Now her talk crosses state lines as she connects women from coast to coast with one another, resources and reinforcement. Engaging in this community conversation, you can connect with women from South Africa, England, Egypt, India, Iran, Japan and everywhere in between!

Through research and reading, Deborah learned that this need for girlfriends was biological. Having girlfriends reduces stress, makes us healthier and certainly makes life a lot more fun. OK, interesting. Seriously, men, how can you argue with that?

Friendships make us more compassionate, aware, caring and stronger. Using conversation as the catalyst, together we can change the world one conversation, one friendship at a time. If you talk with people and get to know them, you care more about them, right? It happens in the office, on the streets, at the clubs, online, with the baseball team.

Today I challenge you to talk with someone you don't know. Yep. A stranger. You're not a child anymore. You can talk to new people. Be bold, compassionate, curious and rewarded. Talk with someone who looks completely different than you do. Smile. What's the worst that can happen?  What did happen?

What great thing have you said about Cincinnati today?

This is the tag line on my emails. I offer it to you to use on your emails too.  After all, I copied it from One Small Group when I saw how Collette closes her emails.  It’s like a smile - best when used often and passed along.

I’ve been using this tag for about a year and get some of the coolest responses.  A couple weeks ago I ran into a friend who reminded me that we haven’t connected in a while.  Betty said,” We need to catch up; besides, I haven’t said anything good about Cincinnati for a while because I haven’t gotten an email from you to remind me.

Today I sent a perfectly business-like email with my closing tag. I got a perfectly business-like reply from Teresa with this postscript:

“An amazing view from any angle!” – that’s my “something good about Cincinnati” for the day!  In fact, my friend Donna said that last Saturday night over dinner at Celestial.  It is so true!!! Whether from Price Hill, cut in the Hill, Covington, Mulberry Hill, Prospect Hill, Mt. Adams, Eden Park/Gilbert Avenue, Newport, Columbia Parkway. Cincinnati looks amazing from any angle! I think that should become one of Cincinnati’s taglines! Plus, I love how it leans toward a double-entendre!

What’s not to love?  It’s fun and a positive way to learn more about your friends and colleagues, get a good tip on a cool place to go or something to do.  So spread the word, the germ, and the viral contagious message. Tell me what great thing have you said about Cincinnati today.