Thursday, May 22, 2008

Not Everyone's Like Me ...

... and it's a Good Thing.

Just yesterday, as I headed out from the office, I stopped to tell my co-worker, whom we will call Sam, that I would be working from home today. "My couches are supposed to finally be delivered," I explained. Not that he needed an explanation. We work from home sometimes. Still, for some reason I explained. Maybe I was being friendly.  Maybe I was just Sharing. Since I had Shared Sam decided to reciprocate.

As background, Sam has a young son, whom we will call Jeffrey. Jeffrey is of that age that I can't possibly remember. You know the kind: parents are likely to still talk about it in a number of months to everyone, even though, speaking for at least myself and probably for all people who have never had kids, if it doesn't translate directly into half years it doesn't mean anything and the rounded half years would suffice. Terms like newborn, one half, one, one and a half, two ... you get the idea, are probably enough.

Anyway, in his Sharing, Sam told me that he was about to pull the trigger on a cool tricycle. I responded thusly: "Oh? For Jeffrey?"

Sam just nodded and proceeded to show me pictures of the trike in question, proving that he is a far better person than I. Had the roles been reversed, I'm sure my left eyebrow would have nearly popped off the top of my head as I lapsed into dark sarcasm. As it was, I pointed out that I had just asked a question that at least had to be considered for status on the all time list of dumb questions. When I pointed it out, he grinned and took the bait: "Nah. I just like trikes. They're pretty fun to ride around once you get on them."