I just finished listening to Agatha Christie’s “Murder in Mesopotamia” and, as with all her books, I completely enjoyed the ride. The author’s quirky humor through Hercule Poirot is enchanting.

Twice I listened to tape one before going on the second because I always miss many of the clues the first time through. I’m more interested in the plot than the character details. And then the second time, with the story in the background, I focus on the tiny details where the clues are always hidden.

As relationships evolve, I find I do something similar. It’s the big picture that’s at first interesting—appearance, career, family status, etc. Then once those things become familiar and the conversations move to a deeper level, the person’s soul begins to unravel, layer after layer when “knowing” the person actually takes place. Things that were hidden and mysterious at first rise to the surface as each “clue” helps to make sense of the whole picture.

Once in a while when my curiosity gets the better of me, I’ll skip to the last chapter of a book to see how the story ends. It would be helpful if we could do that with people too.