Dialogue
Yesterday I had a doctor’s appointment, and while I was sitting in the waiting room I was reading on my cellphone. An elderly man (more elderly than I am, anyway) was sitting across from me. He had a walker and seemed frail, and his wife was sitting near him.
Suddenly he looked straight at me and said in a surprisingly booming voice, “A whole lotta bullshit going on in the world today.”
I had to say I agreed.
Sometimes you just have to say things out loud.
Us Older Ones have more freedom to say what we think.
Good for him.
For someone of that vintage, expletives are proper in settings that are strictly stag. (That should hold for any vintage, in truth).
Art Deco:
Well, this was definitely a co-ed environment. The guy was a bit disinhibited in his behavior, if you get my drift. But I thought it was interesting that he choose me as the recipient of that information, I think because I was looking at my cellphone.
Neo:
In the distant pre-WuFlu times I would have speculated that behind the apple there is an open, engaging countenance. But beyond the eyes so many social clues are now masked and undecipherable.
My snarky take would by, “thank you Captain Obvious”. But, he seems to understand what a lot of our elites, decision makers, and opinion-shaper wannabes don’t quite grasp. He probably got a stern talking to when he got home, of the kind I get on the rare occasion that I watch TV news–or when I watch my favorite college basketball team get mugged by the officials.
Had a serious conversation with my financial advisor yesterday. He had all of the analytics to convince me that the markets would recover soon. I responded that I did not understand the analytics, but when I looked at the country and the world I see what the old man sees. (Well, phrased differently). So, he did what I wanted him to do some months ago. Investors owe me a debt of gratitude. I sold and naturally the market is soaring–for now. No matter, I will sleep better, and maybe by 11/22, or 11/24, the picture will be brighter.
The guy was a bit disinhibited in his behavior, if you get my drift
A man turns 70, he can get away with that. Women have to wait till they’re 90.
A man turns 70…
I turn 70 in about 6 weeks. My daughters are continually embarrassed by me in public..they keep asking why I talk to everyone. I really don’t, but standing in a line etc, I’ll start a conversation. Nothing political. If the person is a Boomer, then the gab fest starts up in earnest, much to the rolling eyes of my millennial daighters.
So, what were you reading? It confirm his observation, or make an exception, or not applicable? (You don’t have to, but ‘s how I’d have answered him. After saying “Amen brother” I mean.))
Could that man’s sudden comment have been partly inspired by something about his visit to your doctor that wasn’t going well? Maybe he’d been waiting a long time, or there was something silly about the paperwork.
Well I’m 73 and the older I get the better I understand Jesus’ admonition not to throw ones pearls before swine. Not that people are swine but common sense is currently in short supply and absence that quality, all they can offer is a parroting of whatever POV most resonates with them.
Of course with strangers we can’t know which of da Vinci’s categories they fall into; they see, they see once shown or they refuse to see. So lately I try to stay silent on any controversial topic until they say something. Then if the impulse/need to respond arises, I ask a question or two to determine by their response which category is most likely to apply. The more absolute their response, the more wedded to their POV they are likely to be. If that POV evidences a lack of common sense, conversation is likely a waste of time.
Philip Sells:
He had just arrived, so it wasn’t that.
Baceseras:
I was checking on the blog and reading a few news stories. He couldn’t see what I was looking at, though.
physicsguy…I talk to everyone too.
I know my girls often tell me it’s “creepy” but I don’t care. Usually it opens a friendly informative chat. I learn stuff and hear stories and gain some insight into another life.
I’ve had more than my share of moments like Neo’s where I hear something completely unexpected and unprovoked. I’m ok with that.
Your encounter in the doctor’s office doesn’t sunrise me,Neo.
Never thought I’d brag about my age (89). But then, I never expected to get this old. Now, being old and harmless, I sometimes roar like a toothless old lion. It doesn’t seem to scare anybody. 🙂 I seldom curse in public, but if the occasion arises where b*lls**t is appropriate, I’ll certainly use it. At a certain age, you kind of quit worrying about what other people think.
Bullshit is one of the basic building blocks of the universe. Stupidity is another one.
}}} A man turns 70, he can get away with that. Women have to wait till they’re 90.
Bullshit. Two words: Betty White.
No one gave her shit for speaking her mind after she was in her 60s. And they applauded her for it.
😉
No one gave her shit for speaking her mind after she was in her 60s. And they applauded her for it.
Betty White was in essence a woman of sanguine temperament. Try Bea Arthur, not in character, but going about her daily business.
}}} If that POV evidences a lack of common sense, conversation is likely a waste of time.
I see this observation a lot. I absolutely disagree. YMMV. However:
1 — Your mind is like a muscle. It needs exercise regularly.
2 — You should never be so certain of your opinions that they can withstand all challenges. It’s good to expose them to criticism, as long as it’s rational criticism (more on that in a moment)
3 — Expressing your positions generally involves both a direct and indirect review of the basis for them. This forces you to re-analyze them in the face of newly acquired information.
4 — If you are not alone (i.e., it’s not just you two people) you expose others to your positions, even if the others remain mere lurkers (even more so if you’re online and not in-person). Your direct opposition may be a bullethead moron, but you have the opportunity to plant seeds in the minds of others, and also to reinforce their own ideas, which, left fallow, might wither without you watering them. Not everyone has the courage of their own convictions in the face of across the board opposition. You also give them an opportunity to see the opposition as something other than “eeeeeevil incarnate” as the Left enjoys painting “us”, and sees us for what we are — passionate and caring people who disagree over the process, not the goals.
As long as they are not physically or verbally abusive — and I’m not even referring to getting “heated”, just being overtly insulting or threatening — then there is benefit to be had for interaction even with someone adamantly opposed to you.
As long as it’s mainly rational and not personal, there is much to be gained. “That’s just stupid” — even “Don’t be stupid” is not the same as “You are just stupid.”
Yes, there’s a lot of blithering idiots around. But I’m careful not to just assume that. You’d be surprised how often I’m “not surprised” to find someone more open than you might expect.
Bertrand Russell’s Ten Commandments of Honest Thought and Discourse
#8: Find more pleasure in intelligent dissent than in passive agreement, for, if you value intelligence as you should, the former implies a deeper agreement than the latter.
The rest, here:
https://www.rightattitudes.com/2017/01/20/honest-thought-and-discourse/
;-P
Finally, there is great fun to be had once you grasp that they ARE blithering idiots, because, esp. when alone, now you can troll them.
My favorite:
“I simply can’t see how you can support the party of Racism, past, present, and indefinite future”… and be ready to back it up with facts and reasoning.
A whole lot of bullshit goes on EVERY day.
(Yes, I’m over 70).
I am 77 years old this year and if a person were to ask me what I thought about the state of the world today “Bullshit !” would be a mild way of stating that I never, ever saw this ‘F’n’ stuff coming. Where the heck is my flying bubble car I was promised during the 1950’s when we were ending the Korean police action and getting set for the 1960’s SE Asia conflict and outspending the USSR making missiles and bombers and peace in our time, it makes my head hurt and a whole lot of it is “Bullshit !”
At my doctor office where I have been several time in the last few weeks due to some stuff that is now getting better about 3/4 of the patients don’t wear masks and 1/2 of the staff don’t unless the patient prefers it that way. We do visit with each other, light gentle conversation and we avoid details about exact health situations, more just gentle banter and talking about the good old days since most of us are in our 70’s and above.
Last time in I noticed that blue jeans, boots, sandals and tennis shoes along with casual shirts seem to be the choice for both men and women and that matches up with the clothing of our husband and wife doctors who wear blue jeans and cowboy boots, at time she dresses just a bit better than he. No signs on the door saying leave your guns at home since the doc likes to shoot a lot and knows his clients. I do like living here in Texas.
Looks like the occasional use of YMMV is a good way to poor oil on troubled waters … and conversations … unless it is imported Russian oil.
For the 25 to 50% of us that are introverts, we tend to not need or desire extraneous conversations while in line, etc. Perfectly happy with our own thoughts; but coming to a blog like this is a good way to obtain alternative views in a nonverbal and digestible way.
OBloody Hell on February 25, 2022 at 9:05 pm: great comment. Thx.
Be interesting if we had an age distribution curve for the readers herein, but I doubt Neo has a side contract with Meta to be able to obtain the relevant data. 🙂 From the comments, though, I would guess over 50% are over 60.
I really enjoyed neo’s story and this post. Sounds like a great, old guy!
OldTexan:
Last year my dentist startled me by chatting with his assistant about his .416 Barrett and .338 Lapua rifles that he was planning to go shoot that weekend. This is in California.
@ R2L > “Be interesting if we had an age distribution curve for the readers herein, but I doubt Neo has a side contract with Meta to be able to obtain the relevant data. ? From the comments, though, I would guess over 50% are over 60.”
Who else has time to schmooze on internet threads for hours every day?