Faking It

Here’s the thing: I hate people.

Individuals are great. Select groups, also good. Herds of random strangers… not so much. Especially random strangers who have been drinking for several hours. I’d just rather be doing pretty much anything but engaging in conversation with someone I just met and will never see again.

This is one of the reasons I always have work with me. If I’m alone, sitting at the bar because Earl’s gone to smoke, I will pull out that notebook or pages to edit and ignore the people around me.*

Sadly, I can’t live in a bubble (I’m not even 100% sure I’d want to). People at large have to be interacted with. As such, I spend a lot of time faking it.

Faking it is that smile I’ve learned to wear when I’m uncomfortable AF. Faking it is trying to keep up with small talk when all I want to do is walk away. Faking it is doing everything I can not to wince when someone says something that is so wrong it makes me want to go full hermit in the Oregon woods.

Individuals: great. Select groups: good. Herds/strangers: throw me off a bridge.

 

*Please note, sometimes this backfires because occasionally people seem to think that I brought work with me to give them a conversation starter. Not to… you know, get work done.