10 June 2008

Other Lives

I blame Russell Davies and specifically tip #7 in How to be interesting
7. Once a week sit in a coffee-shop or cafe for an hour and listen to other people’s conversations. Take notes. Blog about it. (Carefully)
I wasn't in a coffee shop I was on the tube, and I wasn't listening to a conversation I was, well.... I couldn't help seeing... I mean I didn't want to look ... but really... if someone is going to write their secret diary on a crowded tube, well, it can't be that secret, can it?
  • Her right-hand page was headed TO DO w/c 9 June
    In my day-book I also have a page with that title: it's full of items transcribed from TO DO w/c 2 June.
  • Her left hand page was headed Feelings
    In my day-book I don't have a page like that.
So I quit emailing, and smartly alt-tabbed my blackberry to the notes function.

She was getting divorced and she had a lot To Do
  • email David re Primary Care
  • email David re 60%
  • email David re Car
  • 10am call David
Some days she was feeling focused, but other days she was feeling overwhelmed.

In the centre of the left hand page was written
CANADA: If I want to have complete control over Georgie's love, then we have to move. (But what if David doesn't agree to to 60%?)
She had written lots more but when arrived at Canary Wharf I fumbled my 'berry and managed to exit notes without saving. I guess it served me right.

3 comments:

Old Fogey said...

The great Northern comedian Al Read pinched all his best lines from the workers in his sausage factory. He had their benches wired and taped their conversations.
"Eeh the things that were said at our Edie's wedding."
I think Harold Pinter got his non-sequiturs from eavesdropping on conversations on buses, but being of a rather more miserable disposition than Al Read this didn't amount to much - except some rather dreary plays, for which he got the Nobel Prize.
Best wishes

Burgin Streetman said...

just saw your words video... gotta love a guy with lots of books.

I, Like The View said...

you are my mystery lurker from CSFB, aren't you. . .

;-)