Monday, January 16, 2006

Cyborgs and Idiots

Today, I went to a convenience store that I shall not name, but I could have cried like a baby. The noontime crowd packed in like sardines, waiting for the gourmet fare offered by delightful stewards of the mid-day meal. I ordered a tuna hoagie with Swiss cheese, lettuce and vinegar using the clever computerized terminal and began to wait my turn to receive my luscious lunch.

Probably not unlike you, when boredom sets in, I look around and stare at people and eavesdrop on their conversations. Many people presented themselves for my perusal and the buzz of conversation exceeded safe decibel limits. Dizziness overtook me and I felt sick to my stomach. I traveled to another dimension, filled with babbling, idiot, Cyborgs, staring off into space and snaking their heads from side to side.

Every other person in the room sported a mechanical device wrapped around their cauliflower ears. No one spoke to another person in the room. They all spoke out into the room like schizophrenics talking to their tinfoil gods. There were so many disconnected conversations going on at once that none were intelligible.

People walked into each other, danced around children lost in the void of adult inattention, and displayed behavior reminiscent of asylum inmates during Queen Victoria’s reign. Bursts of inappropriate laughter shot forth, startling in its maniacal loneliness. Private matters advertised themselves to the general public, not requiring a tabloid paper to broadcast the news. One person even ran into the frozen coffee mixer, knocking over cups, straws and cupcakes, without breaking stride in walk or word.

9 comments:

  1. Lunchtime and you were already stoned. Shame on you!

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  2. "asylum inmates during Queen Victoria’s reign"- AAhAAAHAAAHAHAAAAAAAA HAHAHAHAAA AHAAAAAA!!!!

    are you a writer by any chance? If you are, you could make a cosy short story out of it all.....

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  3. Don't tell anyone, Jay.

    Thanks, pip squeak. I aspire.

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  4. Geez, I think you'll like Sabah (this place in East Malaysia I just visited). The people were just so friendly and "real". (I know that sounds a trifle condescending, but there's no other word for it).

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  5. I love places where you walk down the street and people look you in the eye and say a friendly, "Hello," instead of averting their gaze as they babble into a phone.

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  6. i find it amusing - i get more friendly looks and comments when i'm "gothed up" then when im looking (more)normal

    sometimes iguess peopl elike to see a break from teh monotomousness of modern life.

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  7. i was gonaa say - if you dont get what i mean by "gothed up" - see my 'race for life post' for an example of me in goth mode :)

    drect linkage -->
    http://crazy-evil-chocoholic-crazy-girl.blogspot.com/2005/06/race-for-life.html

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  8. Gwen:

    I love the face makeup. Very pretty. And your poor heals. Blisters hurt so much.

    My daughter, a friend of hers and I go to the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire every summer. It's not Goth, although quite a few Goths are there. It's pirates, fairies and queens. I'm working on dresses for this coming summer. All is set during the reign of Queen Elizabeth.

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  9. http://www.parenfaire.com/

    Their website if you want to see what's up.

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