Saturday, November 6, 2010

Light and airy

Recently I stumbled upon an article on what to do and what not to do on a first date or when first meeting someone you would like to achieve a first date with. Yahoo likes making lists, I like reading lists, so there you go. It mentioned that you should keep conversation light and airy.
I panicked. I find 'light and airy' extremely difficult.
Light and airy is also the theme of lunchconversation at work. That's why I prefer eating alone behind my computer rather than listening to more talk about post-pensionplans that come into action 14 years from now, the pro's and cons of wintertyres and gossip about absent colleagues.
So I thought of topics that I could talk about, just in case I would meet someone new or old or anyone in general really. Light and airy. Light and airy, shallow is the way to go...
Aero-chocolatebars (Bros) are light and airy, but I wouldn't know what to say about those. Breathing usually is light and airy. Clothes? Music? Blankets? Ikea? Light and airy equals harmless, I suppose. Although I am capable of ruining something as innocent as 'babynames', with my response that "if you swop the A for a T, her name spells 'Cunt', and kids can be so cruel". I'm not proud of that one, but in my defense, he did ask what I thought of his newborn's name...
In practise it's even more difficult, because when someone asks you how you are, it is extremely difficult to steer the conversation towards chocolate or hairstyles. And even then, I don't think my current coupe falls in the category of light and airy. Dark and down, more likely. 'How are you?', is usually followed by a comment regarding work or lovelife; well, I think I can put a more positive spin on the Netherlands' current government, than those two aspects of my life.
My psychologist says that communication and social interaction is the hardest thing we have to do in this life. I couln't agree more. Conversation is a lot trickier than throwing around Twitter or Facebook-status oneliners.
The best opening-line I ever heard was 'what was your best moment this week?' at a speeddating event. Yes, I once went to a speeddating event, and No, I don't want to talk about it. I remember my answer; I cooked a lasagne at home and ate it lukewarm from a plastic container in the cinema. That's my guilty pleasure. I know, I'm such a bad-ass. His best moment that week was his his sister-in-law announcing she was pregnant and him rushing over with a cake and bottle of champagne to celebrate.
Should anyone ask me what my best moment was this week (light and airy, Therese, light and airy), I would say; the youth-theatre Hofplein reunion. Sitting in those coloured chairs again, watching former-children-now-grown-ups perform on stage, tearing up at the first tunes of 'Heksenklus' and actually climbing on that stage myself to dance the 'ghost-part' of the tap.
Ghosts! Well, that's light and airy for ya!
(and the blanket I made inspired by Vlieland has a light and airy feel to it, too)