Conversations Under Construction

Why is it that some people are totally clueless in conversations? Wait, let me step back a second. My focus isn't on the conversation itself. Rather it's for those people that talk when they have no clue that there's an ear that is either listening, an ear that doesn't want to listen, or an ear that needs to put its attention on something else.

It's no secret that as I am one of the .000000000126% Weight Watcher members that happens to be a guy. By the looks of my class, and I've gone on different days, at different times, that the median member is 40ish, causasian, and obviously overweight. So naturally me being a young male mulatto, I stand out like Michael Jackson at a Million Man March. I'm over exaggerating really. They actually like seeing guys who are "man" enough to come in and dare to lose weight at Weight Watchers.

But back to the topic at hand. There was a lady there that wanted to make a comment at the beginning of the class. She wanted to let everyone know of some 12 dollar exercise program going on at the YMCA. And that's fine and dandy and all, but good gracious, she wouldn't shut the fuck up. She just kept going and going and going and it was apparent by the crowd that they wouldn't to get back to the class. Even the leader was dropping hints to get back on track. But nothing was stopping this woman from talking. If life was a cartoon, no doubt an ACME anvil would have flattened her like a pancake. But alas this is real life.....

So what needs to be done to stop such people?

For whatever reason it's apparent that these people are laking the social skill of realizing when it's time to shut up. Most of us have this ability. Have you ever talked to someone and you can just see their eyes glaze over with disinterest? Or perhaps they turn there heads and have their focus on something else while they just nod away and say, "uh huh, uh huh" over and again? Well I for one know when to shut up and move on.

In soccer if a player gets out of line, the official throws out a colored card indicated what type of violation occured. Well I think to help these people out we need a similar system for them to visually understand that they need to zip the lip. Because apparently verbal subtleties and body language isn't enough for them.

So we should all start carrying these cards around. And the next time Chatty Cathy and Gabby Gabe continue to run their vocals in contexts that just need to end, you show them your bright yellow card with the such bold print titles as:

"You're Boring Me."

"No One is Listening."

or

"Shut the Fuck Up"

Of course in the case of the "Shut the Fuck Up" card it is possible you might offend them. However that can be easily remedied by flipping over the back where it reads....."Please".