Concise Mommy

I’m incapable of waffling. I say what I mean and then I shut up. This was an enormous problem when I was in university and I was faced with having to fill 20 blank pages with my opinion on, say, Jane Austen’s preference for the colour blue (or something). After the first paragraph or two, I’d made my point and could write my paper’s conclusion.

It’s not such a problem now. I say what I have to say, no more, no less. I’m frequently silent when I’m in company, but if the mood strikes, I can get chatty with the best of them.

There are a lot of people who aren’t like this. Ask them a question and, somewhere in the middle of their answer, you lose the will to live. Ok, maybe not that bad, but you know what I mean: their answer is so long and circuitous that you get bored halfway and regret having asked in the first place.

I met someone like this recently at a conference. She was very passionate about her subject, and to start with, I was interested in what she had to say. But after the second hour (or so it felt) of listening to her saying the same thing in a hundred different ways, I started having a conversation with myself in my head:

“Oh look, there she goes again. And surprise, surprise, she’s making exactly the same point!”

“Yep, here comes that point again. And nope, she hasn’t added anything new to it this time around either.”

“I wonder whether there’ll be any dessert by the time she lets me go. I’d hate to miss out on that cheesecake”

“The waiters are cleaning up around us. I wonder whether they can sense my desperation and have decided to make a rescue attempt.”

“If I stop making eye contact, will she stop talking?”

“Maybe if I feign death, she’ll go away.”

Have you met people like this? Do you feel my pain??

Comments

[mrsbear]

I actually have a friend like this. It sounds terrible but sometimes I avoid answering her phone calls. She's also one of those people who doesn't really listen when someone else talks, she's just waiting for the next moment she can interject. She's sweet and all, but really it's exhausting talking to her sometimes, I feel like I'm losing my mind. LOSING IT!

[Memarie Lane]

The biggest issue I have along those lines is my husband's "views." I know them all. I've heard them a hundred times. I have learned that I simply can't tell him, say, about a news story I found interesting because he will use it as a platform to tell me about his views. Again. Or he'll take another more mundane subject and spin it until he can bring it around to his views, completely going off the subject until I interrupt him and bring him back to the point.

[Carol]

Uh, that would be my mom. And she escalates with each new way of expressing that same point. By the time we finally do get that subject changed, she's whipped herself into a frenzy and has convinced herself to run for governor.

Poor dead horse.

[brandy101]

I am sorry to say, I think I *am* one of *those* people!

Luckily you dont have to listen to me chat in person!

[Tammy Warren]

I can so relate to this. I do avoid many of my friends that lalalaal all of the time. We are all so busy and listening to repeat sentences is not a favorite past time for me.

Hey...I finally found a post card of my town. I will get this in the mail today or tomorrow.

[Cathy]

Sounded like you were describing my husband's step mom :) I'm mean.

Have a great week ahead.

[Nina]

My sister-in-law is this way and I avoid her at all costs. I can't take it...

[angel]

i feel it! i feel it! and you have all my sympathy!!!

[Christy]

>>There are a lot of people who aren’t like this. Ask them a question and, somewhere in the middle of their answer, you lose the will to live.<<

This? Made me laugh out loud. Thank you!

[abadmommy]

it's starting to get that way on the yourparenting forums...

and yes, i know ppl like this too - i just tune them out - selective hearing is fantastic.

good post, neener neener.

so feel it!