This morning I took a spin class at 7:30am. That time of the morning for me presents all sorts of challenges, but it also gets my metabolism going. I do it because I'm a glutton for punishment, but then my metabolism runs higher for the rest of the day. Or so I hope...
The morning is not my best time, as most of my tolerance levels are lower earlier in the morning, so I'm not the most pleasant person if someone crosses me. After the spin class, I was waiting in line to use one of the four showers at this spin studio, and it was an exceptionally busy morning. It seemed like many of the people in line knew each other somehow, and they were chatting up a storm. The line had kind of split in two, and as I moved my bag forward, this young woman shot me a look, which I interpreted as "You're butting in line." So since I had some extra time this morning and the line order was ambiguous, I let her and her friend assume the next two places.
Big mistake.
For the next 15 minutes I was forced to endure their vapid conversation. I tried to do email, check Facebook, look at Instagram, but nothing blocked out the conversation. I started wondering if I sounded this shallow when I chat in the shower line.
Oh, wait.
Hold it.
I don't chat in the shower line. At least not at 8:15am in the morning. Nor do I talk about what these people were talking about.
Direct quotation:
"We talked about going to MoMA and making fun of all the ridiculous modern art, but I wondered if that would be too intense for a first date."
I just kind of stood there, trying not to roll my eyes or sigh audibly. Then one of them mentioned something about a building at a school that I recognized, and suddenly in my mind they were students, probably graduate students based on minor details I picked up from their conversation. Which was getting to be more and more about dating.
Back in graduate school, my playwriting teacher gave us the assignment to go eavesdrop on a conversation in a public place, jot down two or three lines from the exchange, and then continue the conversation. So I have an affinity for this, and I frequently jot stuff down on my phone. Subway is great for this, elevators are fantastic when they're packed and I'm riding up to my class on the 3rd floor.
But wow. Today's conversation just made me feel terrified about the future. Sure, maybe they were being ironic. Maybe these are great people, and I'm the vapid one for judging. In the shower line. At 8:15am.
That's where this musing leaves me. What does being vapid really mean?
I suddenly feel like Carrie Bradshaw. (sigh) My shoes aren't nearly as nice...