Tuesday

The new cast is only marginally better than the previous one. I can at least put my thumb and index finger together. Two more weeks of "healing".

Another hot one here. 90+ with August humidity. But a front is supposed to come through this evening to get us back into cooler sleeping weather.

Today's topic is inspired by a column in this morning's USA Today Life section that went to some lengths to characterize runners as "running bores". Personally, due to the crowd that I associate with, I hear more from "golfing bores", "biking bores", and "traveling bores". Even more to the point, albeit with no athletic reference, I've bored clients about tax codes and regulations my entire professional life.

In our "grown-up" lives, we tend to participate in physical activities that are more fitness oriented than competitive. (Granted, those golf scores do incent even the worst of the hacks.) The focus is not so much about winning or losing as it is on accomplishment. But being human, there tends to be a need to receive due recognition for our accomplishments. I know that I proudly displayed my half-marathon medals in my office for months after the events. A little pride is okay, but the author of today's article accurately points out that most of these personal testimonials are of marginal interest to the listener.

For what it's worth, I am delighted to hear of these exploits by the girls, whatever the activity. I think we all make exceptions for family that we might not for even the best of friends. And as for mere acquaintances? Where's the exit?!

I do think that we all talk too much about ourselves. Our own likes and dislikes, our own schedules and travails, The World According to Me.

One of the best compliments that a person can receive is that they are a good listener. This is to be distinguished from the quiet listener, who is simply waiting for you to stop talking so that he/she can set the record straight with their own version of whatever the topic. That standard was set for me by a college roommate with whom I had many late-night debates on various subjects. As I spoke my piece, I could almost see through his eyes into a mind that was digesting my commentary, and occasionally, very occasionally, he would agree with me. I always felt like he listened, regardless of how far apart we were philosophically.

This whole business of "bores" is not new, of course. How many panels have we seen Dagwood in over the years, dying to get away from a night at the neighbors' whose entertainment for the evening was home movies of their family vacation? Or Hagar's fleeing the hut to avoid Helga's mother? I venture to guess that we all have our own examples of the classic, awful conversation. The old, "Gosh, silly me. Here I am droning on. I'm tired of talking about me. Why don't you talk about me for a while?"

I may have suggested this before, but it's worth a re-run. If you catch yourself being a "fill-in-the-blank bore", remember what it's like to hear (or read) me talk about NASCAR!!

Have a great evening.

Be careful out there.