OK, I admit it. I am a Nosy Person. A busybody. A gossip. But the other side of the coin of this means that I am interested in people, what they think, what they do. That's why I fit so well in the world of journalism. I have met boring people, but only rarely. You see, I have one of those faces that makes others want to tell me their life stories. And I listen.
I listen as the refrigerator repairman tells me all about the different brands that he recommends and why. I listen as the alarm guy tells me all about his life. I listen as the gardener relays that his wife left him for another gardener. I listen to the old man outside the supermarket tell me how he started his business. I listen to the couple ahead of me in line at the airport describe their new grandchild.
When my husband comes home and tells me about someone from work, I ask for more details. He doesn't have more details. Example: Him: "So-and-so's wife had a baby." Me: "When? How long was she in labour? Was it a boy or girl? What did they name it?" Him: "I don't know." He's completely useless when it comes to details.
But I don't want to know things for malicious purposes. It's because I'm genuinely interested.
And maybe I have a boring life, though it suits me most of the time.
Here's another revelation about me: I can be pathetically insecure. And it makes no difference whether it's in real life or Blogland. Hopefully by the time I'm 50, I'll have conquered this. But if I haven't, well, I'll still be a Nosy Person.
I had plenty of opportunities at the weekend to be Nosy (er, inquisitive). It being BBQ season (though the weather isn't cooperating), I've met up with several friends over the past few weekends. Over a bottle of Cava or seven, I've heard some interesting comments: My Scottish friend (she of the Blonde hair and SUV) declaring that her daughter is too intellectual for the other daughters in our group. Now I could be very catty and say that means she's too obese and full of herself for the other daughters. But I won't. Scottish Friend (who actually is half Polish, half English but raised in Scotland) (and I have nothing against Scots in general, Gordon Brown notwithstanding) has a property portfolio that makes the rest of us drool with great big gobs of envy. I maintain it's best to stay on her good side in the hope that we might someday get an invitation to one of the properties. In fact my children and I did stay at one of their houses when we went skiing in February. Lovely home. But I made sure I minded my Ps and Qs. And I tried very hard not to say anything about the psycho son and arrogant daughter. And still the little prick and c***t got up my backside.
But I digress. I was writing about being nosy and gathering gossip. I've gotten into trouble with my darling daughter because I relayed information to a couple of her friends' mothers that I just assumed they already knew. Like about meeting a couple of boys in the park (I'm not worried, nor should they be) and a few fallouts with friends. So I've been labeled a couple of things by said daughter. Not Gossip or Nosy Person, but Hypocrite and Wannabe (don't quite understand that one). Well, I've learned my lesson about that one, I suppose.
Still, there's nothing better than a good old gossip with your friends, is there? Or about your friends.
