scenes in an elevator at 5:07 pm.
Elevator talk is stupid. You don't know each others' names, you don't know what one another does (except you know they work on, say, the lawyer's floor, or the hospital floor, or the computer people floor, etc.), you don't really even care to talk. You're in an elevator for 37 seconds with folks you see everyday, and while you don't typically talk to, there is an inclination to speak due to the commonality of your office building or because of the silence that some folks find awkward.
Typically, I don't fall into the category of 'we must talk for 37 seconds.' I usually find it grating. I feel there is no obligation owed to any party in the elevator to make generic conversation.
Today, though, has been a weird kind of day. I've been a bit out of
sorts. And I am blaming the scenes below on my having been a bit out
of sorts.
What had happened wuz: I got in the elevator after work with. The people from the lawyers floor were in there. My guard was up. Cus see, lawyers and insurance agents are typically natural born enemies (well, the lawyers that work with insurance agents are. there are good lawyers out there... don't know if I can necessarily say the same about insurance folks... but you didn't hear that from me). BUT I DIGRESS... My guard was up.
They're in the elevator discussing something and I join for the descent to the first floor to go home. The topic at hand: gaming systems. Something I don't know much about. Yet, for some reason (see: out of sorts) I felt inclined to contribute to the already-flowing conversation. While innocent enough, I felt compelled to correct one of the guys when he said Sony made XBox, cus I don't know a lot about gaming systems, but I do know that Microsoft made XBox.
Now, the situation wasn't as awkward as I so graciously painted below (see the detail of my hair, eye color and cardigan), but I felt it was. Granted, there were a few blank stares after I spoke, and I interpreted those blank stares as "Um. Why are you talking?" but I'm sure my interpretation was scewed cus, well, I don't know. I'm just sure that that's not what they were really thinking. But I kinda think it was.
Anyway, this is what the 37-second exchange felt like:
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