In this Weekend Assignment, Karen is curious about what other people are talking about:
Extra Credit: Do you ever eavesdrop on purpose?
I wish I had some interesting snippets to share in response to this, but nothing particular that I’ve overheard recently has been especially outrageous or memorable. I may not have been especially attentive either, to be honest; things I read tend to stick with me much better than things I hear under any circumstances, and I have been a bit distracted lately.
Most of my “overhearing” happens in checkout lines – usually at the supermarket or in Target, since those are the most likely places for me to find myself in such lines. More often than not, the conversations I overhear are pretty mundane. The checker is explaining to a customer – usually an older one, although I don’t mean to stereotype – how to swipe his payment card through the machine; someone is flipping through a gossip magazine and making comments about the pictures; or I’m hearing half of a conversation as someone conducts her transaction with cell phone glued to ear. Occasionally, there will be an animated discussion or even a disagreement taking place over the conveyor belt, but more often than not I’ll actually try not to pay too much attention to those, mainly due to the potential embarrassment factor.
Since I trend blue while living in a pretty red suburb, I have tended to keep my mouth shut when overhearing political conversation lately, although I frequently made comments in my head. I don’t usually seek out debates with strangers – they can easily become arguments, and you never know when someone might take something too personally. (Sometimes, I might even be that someone.)
I sometimes overhear more lengthy or substantial conversations at Starbucks or in restaurants, but since I’m usually in those places either alone with a book or with someone else having our own conversation, I don’t always pay much attention to what people around me are talking about. My favorite place to overhear things is probably the hair salon. Most of the stylists there are women in their twenties, and they seem to have very active social lives – which they are happy to talk about at length, and at full volume. (I swear that was not intended to be a hair pun!) My own stylist is a fairly quiet one, but her co-workers frequently entertain me while I’m getting my color and cut.
For the most part, I don’t tend to engage in conversations with strangers unless I’m specifically addressed, or I overhear a question or comment I’m pretty sure I can answer – or if one or both of us are with dogs. Dogs will always get my attention, and I have found them to be one of the best ice-breakers I know.
I do sometimes make an effort to eavesdrop when a particularly loud or odd comment has caught my attention and I’m curious. I do worry about other people’s eavesdropping, though, particularly when I’m out with my husband. We tend to make comments about what’s going on around us to amuse ourselves and each other, and those comments are not intended for anyone’s ears but ours.
So, what are people talking about around you? Entertainment, politics, the price of everything – or each other?
someone was wondering where someone else was!
I WILL eavesdrop deliberately unless I am consciously making an effort NOT to do so. It is hard for me because I am nosy, but I try not to. Because I talk about things sometimes I dont’ want someone else to hear, so….
I get good stories just by going to the place I get my hair cut. I can imagine the stories at a full scale salon while getting your hair done. 🙂
I get a lot of eavesdropping done at work, but I’ll talk about that in my post later. 🙂
Well, they was that one sided conversation I overheard through the bathroom stall wall but that’s not very exciting. And I’ve been sick and not out of the house for three days. I’ll have to keep my ears open and let you know. I do love to eavesdrop.
Waiting at checkout at Trader Joes on a Sunday night around 7pm has got to be the busiest time ever. You feel like you’re shopping at one of those little groceries in Manhattan. The opportunity for eavesdropping is ridiculous – you couldn’t NOT hear something you could start – or finish – a short story with.
LarryG – Did they find them? Now we have to know what happened next! That’s part of the problem with this overhearing-snippets thing. I guess we’ll just have to make up the rest :-).
Kori – Yeah, I really have to try NOT to eavesdrop myself. But sometimes, especially when they’re on cell phones, it’s like people don’t care – or even notice – that anyone else is around to hear what they’re saying. And I know just what you mean about not wanting to be the one eavesdropped on.
Mike – Work eavesdropping is a whole other story. I was afraid to get into that here, but sometimes it’s the only way I learn about anything at the office.
Debbie – I really hope the other side of that conversation was on a phone (although I really can’t stand cell phones in bathrooms)! Once you get back out and about, I’m sure you’ll overhear some great blog fodder.
Lucia – There you are, making up the rest ;-). But really, we need to seize that creative inspiration wherever it comes along.
Sometimes my husband and I will eavesdrop while dining out if a particular discussion catches our fancy. Terrible, I know, but we’re nosy.
While at the Old Spaghetti Factory yesterday, I noticed a man dining at one table interrupt the conversation at the table next to him to offer his input about some techno gadget. They ended up talking through their entire meals. I don’t think I would have been quite that forward.
Wendy (Literary Feline) – I don’t think I would be that forward either, but it sounds like those people did some bonding.
My husband and I have been known to attempt eavesdropping in restaurants too, but it’s tough now that we don’t hear as well when there’s a lot of background noise (especially him – half the time he doesn’t hear ME from across the table :-).)