There's a girl that rides my bus in the mornings. She's very talkative. I try to read, but she keeps talking to me (subtlety is not my super-power). It gets to a point where it would be rude of me to continue looking at my book without responding to her. So, with a sigh of resignation, I put my book away and enter the conversation.
I don't enjoy these conversations.
She's friendly and everything, but it feels very one-sided. I tried telling her about my expectations for a future class and she had me repeat the set-up three times (i don't know if she couldn't hear me or if she just wasn't listening, but it was annoying) and by the time we had established the set-up, and I was ready to launch into the punchline, she started up her own story and cut me off.
Not a huge deal. We all do it from time to time. Most of the time it's an accident.
Except she cut me off in the middle of saying a word.
It irks me. It's one thing to see my side of the conversation go into one ear and out the other, but to cut me off entirely? I might as well be a brick wall. She doesn't want a responder, just a face to talk at.
And yet I keep trying because I recognize that we have to see each other at least three times a week and offending her could make things really uncomfortable for me. So I search for things we can talk about.
We talked about holistic medicine. We both like holistic medicine and agree that a perfect harmony will be found in using some traditional Western medication and some holistic approaches. She told me about this local doctor whose program she really likes. Then it was my turn, and I told her about a doctor that my mom is seeing and has shown some promising results.
I thought we were having a friendly, reciprocal conversation based on our common interest in holistic methods.
Apparently, I was wrong.
She started trying to tell me how her doctor was better than my mom's, and I needed to tell my mom about this other guy so she could get on his program as soon as possible.
*sigh* Just stop. This isn't a competition about whose doctor is best. If there was a single doctor out there with a cure-all method, I guarantee, he'd be the only one in business. Different methods work for different people. It's okay. Just settle down and stop yourself.
I don't bring up medicine or health anymore.
We talked about classes, and that was fine. We're both in school, she's studying music and I'm studying art, so we've got some common demands on our schedules. It was a good topic of conversation for one whole bus ride. After that, though, there's not a whole lot more you can say. I tried tapping into that vein again the next morning and found that it was dry.
I mentioned that I'm trying to find a part-time job for the summer. What a mistake.
Now I'm in a drama dealing with Primerica, which is a company her husband is being trained for and they're both really excited about it and can we come over to your apartment to tell you about it and blah blah blah.
The problem is that Primerica has already offered me a job, we're set up to have an interview, and I'm going to turn it down. I'm actually planning on calling him Monday to cancel the interview. My husband had an interview with them a few months ago and he turned it down, too. Something about it just didn't sit right.
*Disclaimer!!* Not to say there's anything wrong with Primerica, they sound like a great company and I'm sure they've helped a lot of people. I just don't think I'm the right personality to work for them. *Disclaimer over!!*
I got wrangled into agreeing to sit with her husband and listen to his spiel about the company. It helps him in his training, and we don't have to commit to anything, how bad could it be? Regardless, I'm not looking forward to it.
I've decided I don't really like this girl that much. I don't see us graduating from acquaintences to friends.
This morning, chatting on our walk from the bus into the school, she punched my arm. Friendly, familiar, playful physical contact.
Ah crap.
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