Wednesday, January 18, 2006

The Generation Game

The other day, minding my own business at the bus stop, awaiting the arrival of my charge, I was singled out by one of those unrelenting old dears, special products of their generation, for her quotidian ruminations. The following provides the flavour, if not a transcript, of our exchange:

"Ooh, it's hard with all this shopping", she began. "Still, it's cheap at Jack's - do you go there?"
"No, there's nothing there I tend to buy."
First pause, brief but troubled, the beginnings of old machinery long-rusted being hauled ungratefully into action once agian. "But they sell all sorts there: meat, fish, sweets..."
Ah, she thought this list a sufficient clincher, and the dangling ellipsis seemed to invite agreement with its universal applicability.
"I don't eat any of those."
Now the troubled look darkened further, the pause was fully five seconds duration, and the machinery began to grind almost audibly. "No meat?"
"No."
"No fish?"
"No."
Another lengthy pause. "What do you eat then..." - a slight pause - "health foods?"
My turn for a considered pause. "Healthy foods", I countered.
"Well I suppose I should, having diabetes..."
"I have that too", I ventured,
"Ooh, it's hard isn't it, having diabetes."
"Well, I've not really found it too bad so far, I'm only in the early stages..."
The darkened look had turned to almost complete panic by now. Thankfully, the bus arrived, and, each differently relieved, bade the other farewell.

We may as well have been speaking in different tongues, so far removed from each other were our worlds. Perhaps next time, she'll think twice. Then again...

4 Comments:

Blogger robert d said...

Love the quack, the way you talk.

Hey, I think you could have been nicer to the old lady, indulging in a fantasy. How much could it have cost you?

Feck this, Johnny is a bad boy.

Snapping out,

d

7:17 pm  
Blogger UltraGnosis said...

But I was nice, indeed charming. Truth above comfort, though ;-)

7:25 pm  
Blogger x said...

this happens to me a lot (as you know). I always tell the truth. Although i stand by my decisions and wouldn't have it any other way (no meat etc) sometimes i ask myself "what is it like to be able to chit chat about this kind of things? and to talk about the weather and shopping and not have to interrupt and clarify "but i don't..."

11:02 pm  
Blogger UltraGnosis said...

Bless you chloe! You understand exactly - it's both amusing and a little sad... but integrity must be preserved.

8:18 pm  

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