Talkdown and Chevron - as always you raise some very good and wise points and are of course correct.
I have probably written far to much in response to the OP already. I was trying to give a simple explanation that would have made sense to me as a new PPL. Of course the problem in so doing is over simplification - there are quite a few caveats, and buts, and issues that only come with experience.
I guess I was like every other PPL, I just wanted to feel one of you helpful gentleman was on the other end of the radio and enjoyed sharing my life history!
I guess to the opening poster I would say gradually get accustom to using the radio less, take from this thread hopefully a better idea of how the system works and appreciate that not everyone wants to know your life story. In the mean time feel your way slowly. As someone else said most new PPLs probably talk to much on the radio and more to the point become obsessed with making the radio more of a priority than anything else. That has obvious dangers and the old maxim really does have merit.