head-To-Desk *Thud*

Blockhead tried to strike up a conversation with me today. I was busy working on the computer and getting materials out of my backpack so I could study. (not really sure why he thought that would be a good opening for a conversation. then again, a lot of things are lost on blockhead, so i really shouldn't wonder at it) He was leaning against the counter, eating his lunch. Not working, not even on the clock, just "hanging out" in the office (which we will talk about in another post).

He said to me, "So tell me," (that is his favorite phrase and he uses it to open any and all conversations) "you ever goin' to get a pet for your place?"

I didn't answer right away because the familiarity of the question and its wording startled me.
To my recollection, I've never talked to Blockhead about pets or my desire to/not to get one or the details of how management would charge me an extra $50 a month to keep a pet in the apartment. Where did this question come from?
Not only that, but "your place"?? Blockhead, you've never seen my place, we've never talked about my place, you can't really use that phrase: "your place." I think something more formal would have been called for, like "your apartment" or "your current residence" or "that undisclosed location that you return to at night and leave from every morning" or better yet, we could just not even bring up anything remotely personal about either of us. Obviously, I'm trying to adhere to a tacit social rule here, applicable only to my culture, and it's unfair of me to expect Blockhead to catch on to its subtlety. So then I answered,

"Uhm...no. No, probably not."

"Oh...well, if you did, what kind would you get?"

This conversation has already gone on longer than it should have. Not only that, but it's leading in a direction that I'm all kinds of uncomfortable with.

"I don't know, Blockhead." Shrug. Look down at textbook on desk. Pointedly start reading. It worked. He left.

Okay, so maybe that was rude. Maybe I'm a jerk. Maybe.

Probably.

Then later in the day, I was in the middle of a conversation with one of the teachers, when Blockhead walks in, stands between us (there was quite a distance, the teacher was in his office and i was at my desk, i don't think blockhead realized what he was doing), holds a newspaper up to block my view of Mr.Teacher and starts talking about the picture on the front page.

Jaws dropped. Several of us stared at each other, bewildered, not knowing what to do or say. Someone said lightly and jokingly, "I know, did you see that? He just stood in front of you and held up a paper in front of your face," hoping he would hear and get the hint. He didn't. Instead he stood there, pointing at this dumb picture, smiling at me and saying, "Look at this, isn't this cool?"
"Uh..."
"It looks like the crest in the background is part of his hat. See that?"
"...pretty sure that was the point of the picture."
"Oh. It's still pretty cool, though."
"..."

So then I look away from him and talk over the wall, "Sorry Mr. Teacher, what was that? Something about 20 years down the road, or something?"
"Nevermind. Forget it."

Disappointment.

I was actually enjoying that conversation and instead I had Blockhead pointing at a poor quality photo, thinking it was the greatest visual trick in the world.

I should have said, point-blank, "Blockhead, you interrupted Mr. Teacher. Let him finish first. Sorry Mr. Teacher, what were you saying?" Why didn't I? In the moment it seemed like it would be an awkward thing to do. Why?? That's what I would have done if it had been a small child, to teach the child how to be aware and considerate of other people. A grown man doing the same thing totally threw me off and kind of freaked me out. It shouldn't have. And now I feel dumb.

Well, next time it happens (and it will happen) I'll react better.