Wednesday, January 4

Speechless

Heads, heads - take care of your heads!" cried the loquacious stranger, as they came out under the low archway, which in those days formed the entrance to the coach-yard. "Terrible place - dangerous work - other day - five children - mother - tall lady, eating sandwiches - forgot the arch - crash - knock - children look round - mother's head off - sandwich in her hand - no mouth to put it in - head of a family off - shocking, shocking!

Pickwick Papers: Charles Dickens


I lost my voice a few days ago, I can muster enough wind to squeak or whisper and make my predicament clear but it's easier to stay silent and it’s been fascinating how people react to this; a chap delivering wood to the house yesterday scrunched himself up, presented himself sideways and whispered at me from the corner of his mouth as though afraid that, unarmed with my own voice, his might shatter me into a million pieces.

Then there are people who must converse, I can usually head off brewing nonsense before it becomes torrential but today at the hairdressers I was helpless as a lady who clearly couldn’t bear the idea of there being no sound let her voice run riot in the face of my mutitude.

...everyone has this bug, I think it’s the weather getting cold then warming up ... the germs hang around at a lower level when it does that...


...Christmas, it took ages coming this year didn’t it? And then it came all of a sudden and much more than usual.


????

9 comments:

  1. Whenever my knee is acting up and I use a cane, I notice that people are generally nicer to me.

    Maybe carry a cane and whack anyone who spouts gibberish to you!

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  2. New header! (psst...whadya do with them fellas that used to be up there? jest askin'...)

    And that woman at the hairdresser's? Some mad chemist cloned her and now she's everywhere!

    Happy new(ish) year, Lulu.

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  3. So that's why I don't frequent hairdressers'salons..I get enough mad conversations on the bus.

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  4. You just made 2012 a wonderful year for me with that excerpt... And I love your banner. You are a super genius who ought to have altars built to her in columned buildings around the English-speaking world, or at least an oratorio or something.

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  5. I feel that way about Mondays. they come all of a sudden and much more than usual

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  6. She must surely be a descendant of Louis McNeice, she knows "world is crazier and more of it than we think".

    I might play mutitude and try and experience the oddness for myself.

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  7. Oh yessssss. Folks just abhor an audio vacuum, don't they. It's enough to make one want to become a trappist, sometimes :-)

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  8. I'd like to comment on this but I lost my typing voice.

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  9. lx - I think close-up affliction does make people a bit nicer, stick idea's a good one though


    Dinahmow - them fellas that used to be up there got dressed and left.



    Mme Fly - there are many mad conversations to be had on public transport, here at least one can move seats.

    KSV - I would so love an oratorio - could it be the sort where people cam and said nothing?

    Nursey - for me it's mornings!


    Eryl and Gadjo - mutitude and trappism - games for all the family

    Gadjo - Amazing how many people can't cope with an audio vacuum. This has been an eye-opener

    Mr Red - me neither

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