Lately, it has come to my attention that I may have an intense fear of strangers. I previously chalked this up to just not liking most humans, but I actually think that I'm just terrified of them.
One of my friends recently told me this story about going to the grocery (which is Dayton, Ohio slang for "grocery store"). She went on to talk about this funny little conversation she struck up with an elderly woman in the yogurt section. The woman picked up Fiber One yogurt and my friend pointed out, "It's really good. I get it all the time," which started a tornado? a hurricane? a severe weather euphemism that means they talked each other's faces off. Who has time to talk about yogurt with a stranger? I think about these things.
But maybe it's because I don't like small talk. I like big talk. I like to talk about things that matter, like how we all probably fear the same things and want the same things, it just comes out different. Like I won't usually pick up the phone if I only have five minutes to talk, or if I'm driving and I want that time to think or have a Preacher's Wife sound track sing along, because I don't want to talk about yogurt. I may just want to tell you a very involved joke and I want to get it right.
So on to the possible fear. I have now started to say "hi" to strangers, at least on my bike because then they can't stop and ask me anything because I can easily peddle away. That's probably psychotic.
Post.Script: There is nothing wrong with talking about yogurt, I just simply cannot do it.
One of my friends recently told me this story about going to the grocery (which is Dayton, Ohio slang for "grocery store"). She went on to talk about this funny little conversation she struck up with an elderly woman in the yogurt section. The woman picked up Fiber One yogurt and my friend pointed out, "It's really good. I get it all the time," which started a tornado? a hurricane? a severe weather euphemism that means they talked each other's faces off. Who has time to talk about yogurt with a stranger? I think about these things.
But maybe it's because I don't like small talk. I like big talk. I like to talk about things that matter, like how we all probably fear the same things and want the same things, it just comes out different. Like I won't usually pick up the phone if I only have five minutes to talk, or if I'm driving and I want that time to think or have a Preacher's Wife sound track sing along, because I don't want to talk about yogurt. I may just want to tell you a very involved joke and I want to get it right.
So on to the possible fear. I have now started to say "hi" to strangers, at least on my bike because then they can't stop and ask me anything because I can easily peddle away. That's probably psychotic.
Post.Script: There is nothing wrong with talking about yogurt, I just simply cannot do it.