He said he liked my tights. He complimented the painting. A simple “thank you” would have been appropriate. A modest, heartfelt, appreciative “thank you.” Nothing dramatic, or sarcastic. Brief but kind… then on to the next topic of conversation; most likely left to my own responsibility to lead it in, in order to fill the awkward silence that was bound to follow.
This is all in 20/20 of the retrospective kind. Instead of stepping forth into perfected scripting, I took the improvisational route. I looked equally down the cross roads of Sarcasm St. and Self Deprecating Avenue, completely ignoring the “OPEN” sign at the “Keep Your Mouth Shut” Cafe. I needed to take a rest, forgoing a chance to sit down at the Bus stop to ” Smile and Say Thank you.” The options for Sarcasm St. and Self Deprecating Avenue look so tempting with their bright lights and flashy store names like “Sorry I am a Social Oddity,” and the “I have Serious Intimacy Issues” book store. There was the sweets shop that promised “I’m working on it!”; right next to the “Hide an Addiction Boutique.”
What a plethora of options! All far more dramatic and energy consuming than that boring ole bus to “Smile and say thank you.”
That bus; with plush seats, that always smells of vanilla and cinnamon. Where every rider is genuinely happy to see you, and conversations are easy, organically free flowing; and always thought provoking… Ohh, that bus! Why didn’t I take that bus?
That all realized after an exhausting walk down the roads of distractions and apologies.