Once we get beyond the easy yes/no questions, it’s all over for me. If the sign says “Ten items or less,” I check my basket and don’t start a pedantic conversation about whether it should read fewer. Carton of milk, box of Cheez-Its, brick of cheddar, two kinds of cereal, bag of popcorn, jar of extra […]
Not all small talk is excruciating. Recently a friend stopped drinking for a month. Normally gregarious and sociable, she confided that her month without alcohol was fine, except, “I had no patience, none at all, for small talk.” Another friend just posted a fascinating article by David Roberts on Facebook (“Why Small Talk Is So […]
We shouldn’t disguise such loaded, difficult questions as small talk. I work for a fairly big organization and live in a fairly small town, so naturally I became used to prying, personal questions disguised as small talk. Most of the time, they seemed fairly simple on the surface. “So, how’s married life?” I have a […]
I don’t need a lot of friends, but I need a few who have genuine personal depth and will let me see it. I think I’m getting ruminative in my menopausal fugue—solidly on the other side of divorce, career reinvention, and starting over in a new place with a new love. I have almost all […]
When was the last time your sister and brother-in-law were asked to defend their “married lifestyle” to a table of 12? The questions arise when you’re passing the potatoes or putting out the nut cups. Are you seeing anyone special? Playing the field? When are you going to settle down? Singles are often grilled about their personal […]
