Three Old Ladies
Well, I just took a lunch break at the Border’s bookstore cafe. Got my little sandwich, chips, coffee, and a handful of Lindt truffles and sat down with a pile of books in a nearly empty cafe, ready to enjoy an hour away from the phone, the computer, and anything resembling a television set. But peace and quiet evaded me, as they usually do when I try to eat out alone. No dice. There were three old (and I do mean old) ladies sitting in the cafe area, and talking–loudly. Very loudly. I’m not sure they realized how loudly. Like I said, they were old. I don’t mean to be disresepctful at all. Just stating the facts.
But it wasn’t their manner of conversation that prevented my peace and quiet. I’d take old lady gossip any day over screaming toddlers (especially screaming toddlers with indulgent parents saying, “Ooooh! My aren’t you cute when you’re a grumpy gus!” every time the kid throws a tantrum; I’ve met these in the Border’s cafe, as well…) No, if they’d just been loud old ladies, I probably could have blocked them out, or found their manners quaint and eavesdropped with pleasure. My discomfort, on the other hand, arose from their subject of conversation: the Pope; religion; Methodists and Goerge W. Bush; religion; heaven; absolution; religion… (more…)