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Overheard Conversations
- Thread starter slobake
- Start date
Thread reversal. In 1987's summer, my girlfriend and I had a 1st holiday together (we had our honeymoon the following summer) and we went to central Athens (Greece, not Georgia) - a heatwave. She's fluent in French and her Italian's decent but our combined Greek was my knowledge of how to pronounce the letters thanks to all that science stuff.
Of course, if you can't understand everyone else - they can't understand you, right? Stands to reason. In the restaurant, we're discussing how much the warmth encourages, erm, warm feelings but how we could do with aircon, how extraordinarily sweaty I get during horizontal exercises, how she wonders if a towel between us is unromantic, whether her internal discomfort is caused by the heat, the perspiration, the excessive frequency given the lack of TV or work etc etc.
After a while, the dark haired lone eater at the adjacent table says, "So you guys aren't from LA - where'ya from?"
Spent rest of evening describing NW England, the Rams and my opinion that the Giants just needed a good, 1,000yd rusher to go all the way (pardon the pun) and left with all the lovely-to-meet-you stuff. One step outside and we were "How much of all that did he get to hear?" and quickly agreed it must have been absolutely all of it.
(EDIT: Giants had Joe Morris and got through by then? I know that's why I proposed to her)
Of course, if you can't understand everyone else - they can't understand you, right? Stands to reason. In the restaurant, we're discussing how much the warmth encourages, erm, warm feelings but how we could do with aircon, how extraordinarily sweaty I get during horizontal exercises, how she wonders if a towel between us is unromantic, whether her internal discomfort is caused by the heat, the perspiration, the excessive frequency given the lack of TV or work etc etc.
After a while, the dark haired lone eater at the adjacent table says, "So you guys aren't from LA - where'ya from?"
Spent rest of evening describing NW England, the Rams and my opinion that the Giants just needed a good, 1,000yd rusher to go all the way (pardon the pun) and left with all the lovely-to-meet-you stuff. One step outside and we were "How much of all that did he get to hear?" and quickly agreed it must have been absolutely all of it.
(EDIT: Giants had Joe Morris and got through by then? I know that's why I proposed to her)
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East Commons of San Diego State in 1972. Two members of the football team discussing another not there.
"How much that motherfletcher weigh?" [deep voice]
"The motherfletcher weighs 230 motherfletching pounds." [high pitched voice]
"That motherfletcher don't weigh no 230 motherfletching pounds!" [deep voice]
"Hey, man, next time you see the motherfletcher, take a look at them motherfletching laigs." (This line must be spoken as fast as possible.) [high-pitched voice]
"How much that motherfletcher weigh?" [deep voice]
"The motherfletcher weighs 230 motherfletching pounds." [high pitched voice]
"That motherfletcher don't weigh no 230 motherfletching pounds!" [deep voice]
"Hey, man, next time you see the motherfletcher, take a look at them motherfletching laigs." (This line must be spoken as fast as possible.) [high-pitched voice]
I used to wait tables at a nice restaurant and many customers carry on conversations as if the wait staff aren't even there. I would make a quick stop at a table to refill drinks or tale away empty dishes and the patrons would keep talking about extremely personal stuff.
A common topic was one partner confronting the other after discovering they were being cheated on. Or confronting the other about any kind of dishonest behavior that they suspected, like relapsing into substance abuse or hiding money to spend selfishly or or just arguing about seemingly trivial crap that had boiled over into something that had become a threat to their relationship.
I learned from childhood that sitting down to supper with family was a special time of day when unpleasant topics were avoide. If you didnt have anything positive to say, you politely kept your mouth shut so as not to ruin the meal for the other person or persons. It amazes me to this day, how so many people will choose the evening mealtime as the exact time to have a confrontation, and especially in a public place.
A common topic was one partner confronting the other after discovering they were being cheated on. Or confronting the other about any kind of dishonest behavior that they suspected, like relapsing into substance abuse or hiding money to spend selfishly or or just arguing about seemingly trivial crap that had boiled over into something that had become a threat to their relationship.
I learned from childhood that sitting down to supper with family was a special time of day when unpleasant topics were avoide. If you didnt have anything positive to say, you politely kept your mouth shut so as not to ruin the meal for the other person or persons. It amazes me to this day, how so many people will choose the evening mealtime as the exact time to have a confrontation, and especially in a public place.
My wife and I have a mutual agreement. No issues first thing in the morning or when someone first gets home. Of course that rule gets broken sometimes but we do our best.
We often have deep conversations over dinner that sometimes veer into an asteroid field. I am okay with that.
In a non social space any conversation is good conversation. Airing dirty laundry in a social setting is no bueno, however. I would never put up with it.
This reminds me of a conversation I heard many years ago. I was riding a streetcar and a female/male couple were bickering. I don't remember what the argument was about. I do remember the male looking around the streetcar and saying in a very loud voice, "I CANT HELP IT IF YOU ARE FRIGID."
She glared daggers at him and he got a smug look on his face. It was clear that what he did was intentional. A tense cloud settled over the streetcar and the only sound was the squeaky metal on metal of the streetcar wheels rolling along the track.
They exited silently at the next stop.
