“. . . therefore I quote” Gail Godwin

I read, therefore I quote.

Today’s quote is from The Wit and Wisdom of Women

“At times . . . one is downright thankful for the self-absorption of other people.”

I love it when self-absorbed people ignore me. Such a relief.

Yesterday I got a cranky stranger to ignore me. He had started talking to me – actually, he had started giving me unsolicited life instructions contrary to my current choices (which he found silly).

After my weight training session, I went into the sauna to stretch. Two older “gentlemen” were in there, complaining VERY intensely about the facility. The whirlpool wasn’t hot and that led to a plethora of additional complaints and insults about management. One of the whiners left, the other stayed and started talking to me. “On a cold day like today, the whirlpool would feel great . . . blah, blah, complain, whine, whine . . . ”

This whole time I’m thinking: “shhhh.”

okay. I was really thinking: “shut. up. This is my quiet time. Or at the very least, it’s YOUR quiet time.”

Anyway. He asked me some question that led to me telling him that I worked out with a personal trainer and there he went. Loud and animated: “You don’t need a trainer! You just pay attention, watch what they do, learn . . . . ”

And whatever he said after that, I really wasn’t listening. As I was wrapping my fingertips around the bottom of my foot (something I probably haven’t done since I was PinkGirl’s age), I debated. For about a fraction of a second. Do I really want to enter into a conversation with this man? Or do I just want to challenge him to a 30 second wall squat and be done with it? Or maybe a lung walk across the parking lot? Cause he would stop talking then.

But NO. That would be mean. So when he paused to take a breath, I was ready. Knowing he would view me as stupid and (hopefully) not worth his time, I said, “I just like it.”

And he had NOTHIN. ha!

There was silence. Peaceful, sauna silence.

Then he baited me, “Well, I guess some people just need that attention.”

But I had already decided that I wanted him to ignore me, so I replied, “That’s one way to put it.” and reached for the bottom of my other foot.

He sat there, in silence, for nearly 10 minutes. Finally leaving . . .

. . . me in peaceful sauna silence.

“. . . therefore I quote” Thursday: If you have a quote to share from something you’ve read recently, feel free to comment and/or include a link to your own “quote” post.

Need help making your link look pretty in the comment? Copy and use <a