Cast of characters
Saturday night, my wife and I attended a Mardi Gras dinner at the home of some close friends. The group consisted of four other couples, most of whom we have also known for sometime. After an excellent dinner, we sat at the table and talked for almost two hours.
To give you better picture of who was sitting around that table, let me list the various occupations represented in this "typical" American setting:
Male - judge, CPA, accountant, building contractor, and me (retired banker.)
Female - housewife, banker, administrative assistant, accountant, and my wife (legal secretary.)
Plot Development
Summary of topics discussed in-depth:
Hunting, Fishing, Golf, Places to hunt, fish, and golf in the US, Places to hunt, fish, and golf outside of the US.
Summary of topics attempted (and typically cut off in mid-sentence by saying "How about those Blue Devils!") due to lack of collective knowledge:
Threats to our culture caused by racial problems, Pre and Post-Katrina New Orleans, Whatever happened to the Mayan Indians?, Why do judges wear black robes?, (Sounds like the punch line to a joke, but the judge didn't know.) and finally, the latest episodes of Boston Legal.
Summary of topics not even introduced: Politics, Religion, The Economy, Personal activities other than hunting, fishing, and golf, Education, Young People, Crime, War in Iraq, Energy Crisis, Winter Olympics, Real Role of Government, and Health Care.
Review of Evening
When I was working, I considered these people my peers. On Saturday night, I discovered they were not - at least for the time being. Maybe after they retire, they will join my club and have a good laugh before they hit the panic button!
2 comments:
Maybe your perspective has changed enough to distant you from your former peers.
And from what I've seen, some people are reluctant to discuss hot button topics at certain social settings for whatever reason... don't want to rock the boat, don't have a strong enough 'opinion' on it to bother, or maybe think they're not polite after dinner conversation. ;) I rarely hear discussions on any of the *big* issues in social settings when my hubby and I visit with friends. It's usually very light. I think people need a respite from the weary everyday grind--which may include (in their minds) deep discussions of The World. It takes a different kind of energy to discuss these things intelligently. Maybe their brains or emotions were just a little taxed at the time. ;) Just a thought.
Excellent point! In retrospect, we have had big issue discussions with some of these people when it was just two couples in a more intimate environment. With the bigger groups, especially when no one person delights in stirring up the pot, light and tranquil conversation is a great respite from the battles of the day.
Thanks!
Post a Comment