Saturday, August 1, 2009

The loss of sweet regulation

Martha and I were married for almost 40 years when she passed away. In addition to being beautiful, smart, kind and sensible, she was a wonderful guide to me in regard to social behavior. On more than one occasion, as we drove to someone’s house for dinner, she would quietly suggest that I let the host and hostess do some of the talking and try not to speak as loudly to everyone as I am inclined to do!

I get nervous in social situations because I’m basically very shy. Work and life in general have caused me to attempt to overcome this but I will fill almost any pause in a conversation. And loudly, if I’m not conscious of it.

I went out to dinner with a couple recently. I had a good time. We were in a small, but excellent, restaurant. Two days after this dinner I suddenly realized, light dawns over Marblehead, that everyone in the place must have had to listen to all my stories whether they wanted to or not. And I’m not sure the lovely people I was with got to say the proverbial two words.

How quickly some of us regress!

No comments:

Post a Comment

Be kind. I'm so old a snide comment might be the end of me!