Sunday 31 January 2010

Snip, snip, snip

Another valuable skill that my writing courses have emphasized over and over again is to have all one’s senses attuned to the everyday.

Being a naturally nosey eaves-dropper I find this one skill very easy to do. I can't do maths but I sure can listen and remember!

So here are actual bits of conversations heard in the last 24 hours. In my writer-ly way I have filed them mentally under, "s for snippets".

1. On the train going to work:

Woman using her mobile phone in the packed train: “Ok, don’t tell anyone right? Just between you and me, ok? Promise not to tell anyone ok? It’s so a secret, ok? Just us knowing, right? Just you and me…. Promise? Ok, here it is… Oh. My. God. Susie’s having an… you ready for this.. yeah, yeah, Susie! She’s havin' it off with.. yeah, that’s the one, yeah, oh my God. But it’s a secret ok? No-one knows but us!”

2. Queuing for my coffee:

Daughter: But I don’t want to go the toilet.
Dad: Yes you do, now go on
Daughter: but I don’t feel like going.
Dad: You may not now but you know you will once we get on that train, so go now.

3. Waiting for the tube train:

Teenager speaking on her mobile phone, crying: It hurts though, it really does… well I don’t know… well that’s what he said… he said he just couldn’t see the point… he said that he tried but that… I wasn’t… yeah, yeah… but… he… yeah, oh I don’t know, I love him and I didn’t… he said he just wanted a break, but I don’t understand… yeah, I know, I know… yeah… yeah… but why does it hurt so much?

4. Shopping in Waitrose:

Man (holding basket, full)standing by the veg counter: Why do we need more potatoes?
Woman (with trolley, full)standing further down by the meat counter: What do you mean why?
Man: We’ve already got potatoes
Woman: Well we need some more.
Man: Why do we need some more?
Woman: I just need more potatoes ok?
Man (voice rising): We’ve got potatoes
Woman (voice rising): I need more potatoes for God’s sakes why are you arguing about the bloody potatoes
Man: Because we’ve already got some, so stop yelling
Woman: This is going to be a special dinner, for a special occasion and I need more bloody potatoes!

:-)

14 comments:

Theresa Milstein said...

This week, I'm going to try to say, "I need more bloody potatoes!" at least once.

Ann said...

Priceless! They are all priceless. I am still laughing over the potato conversation. I think I have had that conversation!

fairyhedgehog said...

Those are all going to come in useful!

Kea said...

Oh, teenage angst...! Wait till she finds out life doesn't get any easier or hurt any less.

Loved the mother telling the child to go to the bathroom, even when the child didn't have to go. Mom used to do that to me. LOL.

And apparently everyone on that packed train now knows that Susie is having an affair....

The potatoes...Maybe she has a potato obsession. LOL. Oh, the joys of marriage.

Maybe I ought to try and tune in to people around me a bit more, instead of tuning them OUT.

Lexi said...

Wow, how fascinating. I must listen more myself.

I once heard a little girl who was being nagged by an au pair say, with great feeling, 'It's not me who's making me bad, it's you!'

Old Kitty said...

Hi Theresa Milstein

LOL!! I hope you do!

:-)

Take care
x

Old Kitty said...

Hi Ann

And they were such a lovely young couple too!

:-)

Take care
x

Old Kitty said...

Hi fairyhedgehog

I hope so! All these eavesdropping better be worth it!

:-)

Take care

x

Old Kitty said...

Hi Kea

Oh to be able to tune people out at will would be such a blessing!

So thank goodness that every so often people do come up with priceless bits of conversation.

Only sometimes mind!

:-)

Take care
x

Old Kitty said...

Hi Lexi

LOL!! From the mouth of babes...

:-)

Take care

x

Anonymous said...

Do you think everyone has had at least one of those conversations? I know I've had 2 and 3, and taken countless walk-on roles in 4...

Old Kitty said...

Hi hampshireflyer

Thanks for popping in!

I should hope that we've all heard these conversations at some point or other (or had walk on roles too!). It's the million and one possible stories behind these same ol conversations that thrills me!

:-)

Take care

x

Karen Jones Gowen said...

I'm with Kea, I'm going to start listening more instead of tuning out, AND I'm going to carry a notebook around with me!!

Old Kitty said...

Hi KarenG

:-) Good for you! Creative eaves dropping is really fun!

Take care
x