I was standing at the Circular Quay bus stop trying to remember whether the 897 would take me to where I needed to go. I was looking in the direction of, but not really properly noticing, a couple of kooky Japanese street performers when a strong voice beside me hissed, "pathetic".
I was truly shocked. I turned to the woman responsible for this totally uninvited judgement and said, "oh, it's a shame you feel that way cos I quite like it". I realise now that my response was instinctive, serving, first, to deflect the woman's hostility with a degree of honest and positive - though, I must confess, slightly confected - appraisal, and, second, to leave the way open for a discussion - ambitious as this may now seem.
Yet she was merciless: "I've seen things like this before, but much better".
I turned away. I couldn't face her anymore. I turned away from the kooky Japanese street performers too. And a little while later, as the 897 trundled me into the rest of my afternoon, I tried but failed to forget about this well-groomed, boutique-bag-clutching, heavily and expensively bejewelled woman. Of all the people at the crowded bus stop, why did she choose me to envenomate with her aggression and negativity?
6 comments:
She was clearly wanting to impress someone (anyone) with her world weary wisdom. She couldnt just think her thoughts and leave it at that (unless specifically asked for her opinion) she had to inflict it on someone and you were there. Since you responded to her initial comment she it gave her license to denigrate these performers further. If you had not turned away from her you would have got an invite over for cold tea and a slide show of her long theatrical career from Zigfield Follies chorus girl to Harajuku Girl in Tokyo last year performing for western tourists.
Anyway if they were (as you say) "kooky" I would have yelled out "get over yourselves ya tossers"
They were "getting over themselves" - literally. (But, then, that's probably what you meant.)
And the idea of sipping cold tea while partaking in a slide show with this woman terrifies me. I've read The Landlady and know that, were I to accept such a suspiciously hospitable offer, I'd soon see myself stuffed (or battered to death with Kookai bags).
I've just had this awful thought that maybe she wasn't referring to the kooky Japanese street performers at all. That, in fact, she was directing her judgement at me. (If so, she wouldn't have been too far off the mark - but that's not for her to know.)
i would have thought an appropriate response would be to say, "alright then, off you trot: you have a go."
Actually, this may just have been the encouragement she needed to launch into a whirling Shirley Bassey routine involving spit, flailing limbs, profanity and a reasonably well-held, catchy tune.
Why you? Isn't it obvious? If I were a clip cloppy jangly old bird I'd choose you too, as I would if I were a heart broken late aged gentleman, a lost child, a confused tourist or a spruiker in a penguin suit. You're open and friendly and I bet you're known to make eye contact too. Dear lunar brogue, I can guarantee the pleasures you bestow outweigh the occasional occupational hazard. Keep at it!
Oh jeez, thanks bsmm.
I've never encountered a spruiker in a penguin suit. Closest I've come is a man promoting head-to-toe wet weather clothing on a blue sky day. (There was a kayak beside him, so I may be embellishing. Also, he was alluringly fluroescent so I didn't feel any awkwardness on his behalf.)
Post a Comment