So yesterday I was flying back home from Memphis (home of Justin Timberlake of "Dick in a Box" fame.) I normally hate talking to people while I'm in the airport or on the plane or what have you. I've usually got my headphones in, oblivious to the world around me and just thinking about random things in life. I mean what's the point of telling someone where you're going to or coming from? There's nothing I hate more than small talk...except maybe small talk with a random stranger in an airport. This is why I usually try to find a bar or a table to myself where I can drink my layover away, fall asleep on the plane and wake up ready to deboard. This also gets me past that annoying 10 minutes when the plane has just landed and people stand up in the aisle as if they are going somewhere. Sit down. You are not going anywhere until the 20 rows in front of you get off. Anyways, to make a long story short I ended up talking to this really interesting woman where I was drinking and as luck would have it we were on the same plane and from the same area. We started talking and drinking (her: wine, me: blue moon) and talking about places in the area we liked to go. Well, drinks were poured, food was complained about and we ended up sitting next to each other on the plane and having a grand old time. She walked me to my car we exchanged numbers and became facebook friends and parted ways. So now I guess I have to rethink my whole antisocial attitude towards airports and planes...but not to boring small talk.
Is it bad that I find it easier to talk to people after I've had a few? I mean isn't that the main reason people drink; to feel more relaxed and comfortable?
Something else I wanted to write about was a term I came across while I was fooling around on the internet the other day and I think if it was a medical condition I would have it for sure. Staircase wit. You know when you've had an argument or discussion with someone and after its over you think of the perfect comeback but its too late? Well there's actually a term for that out there and its called staircase wit or the staircase effect. Its called this because the guy (or gal) who coined it had just had an altercation with a friend and then turned to leave. While walking down the stairs from this guy's apartment/house he thought of a perfect response to whatever it was they were arguing about. But, as is life, it was too late to use his comeback and he would have no doubt looked like a fool to run back up the stairs and throw his retort back to his friend. Viola. Staircase wit is born. The guy was French and I think the original term was L'esprit D'escalier. I have no knowledge of French and therefore no idea how to pronounce those words so I just settle on using the term staircase wit when this happens to me which is pretty much all the time. I can't think of a name to call a person who has this condition but I'm sure I'll think of something after I've already published this post and walk downstairs...
Song suggestion: Eddie Money - Baby Hold On
Book suggestion: Love in the Time of Cholera
No comments:
Post a Comment