Friday, April 04, 2008

Communicating

As I sat working in the coffeeshop today, a woman started talking to me as I wrote. It took me a moment to pull myself from my writing thoughts to notice her and what she was saying. I must have looked at her in confusion because she walked over and pointed to the chair across from me at my table. I thought she might be asking for my extra chair, but before I could answer, she grabbed the newspapers off the chair and said, "Are you using these? I guess not because you didn't even know they were there!" Still attempting to catch up with what she was saying since she didn't breathe between questions, I was really taken offguard when she continued in a singsong voice, "It's not a big deal, I'm only talking to you, just communicating," then walked away in a huff. The lady at the table next to me looked as surprised as I felt and raised her eyebrows in amusement. The woman acted as if I had been rude to her somehow, but I was merely trying to refocus my thoughts midstream.

7 comments:

Kristen @ frostingandfroth.com said...

Some people are CUH-RAZY! I wish I had been there. I would have had my own way of "communicating" with her, if ya know what I mean... Guess it's the gangsta in me. ;-)

Jenny Beattie said...

But those moments of communication you had with the other lady who looked shocked means you're the ones grounded in reality.

A very similar thing happened to me in Starbucks yesterday. I witnessed something (an exchange between a Starbucks girl and a customer) that made my jaw drop open (I think it will appear in my book, too) and another customer caught my eye and we both watched, entranced with our jaws dropped open in shock.

What's important is my common ground with the third customer.

People really are mad.

Yvonne said...

Urggh that woman sounds OBNOXIOUS. And I agree with JJ, the fact the other woman was shocked too means you were the normal one!

Sue Guiney said...

There's an old saying...."the things you see when you're out without your gun."

I may be a died-in-the-wool pacifist, but sometimes..........

Lane Mathias said...

Argh - I missed your birthday! Happy birthday and hope you have a brilliant trip!

That cafe woman was one rude lady. Hope you wrote it all down:-)

Anonymous said...

Oh dear me, some people are truly charmless.

I would like to think that I would have said something clever in response, but I would probably have been just as dazed as you.

Happy Birthday Angie.

xxxxx

Angie said...

Kristen, yes but you never want to encourage the crazies! ;)

JJ, I was glad the other woman found it strange too. I do love watching people who are mad, I just prefer to not interact with them. haha.

Yvonne, she was pretty obnoxious, and when her friend arrived a few minutes later, I could see crazies do love company.

Sueg, thanks for visiting. That is a funny saying and does make you think...

Lane, thanks and thanks! Both were great.
That's one reason I keep going to cafes - I find great material!

Hullaballoo, 'charmless' is the perfect description of her. I'm never quick on the clever responses in situations like those. An hour later, I've got a million brilliant things to say...