It happens more and more as I get older. I don't know whether it is increasing age or living alone that brings it on, or a combination of both, but I do it all the time at home. It's nice to have the sound of a voice, and sometimes I need to encourage, or possibly discourage myself in what I am doing, or even ask myself what the hell it is I think I am doing!
On the whole I try not to do it when out and about, but the habit is so ingrained by now that it just breaks out from time to time. This evening, as I took my constitutional round the block, I noticed ahead of me a young couple standing beside a shiny black open-top sportscar. Next moment I noticed a tiny blond girl-child sitting behind the wheel."Oh!" I say, as my thoughts push my mouth open "there's a small per......." - but at the first sound of my voice the young man's head has come up and he is looking at me enquiringly.
"Sorry" I say "I was talking to myself. I was going to say 'there is a small person driving a big car'", and I smile in what I hope is a disarming manner. "Hmm - trying to" comes the response from the young man, who has fortunately not taken my remarks amiss.
So all in all quite a pleasant exchange, but supposing I had been passing disagreeable comment on someone? It could have turned nasty! I really must watch myself.
I found this illustration on a fascinating website called verbotomy.com - you really should visit it, especially if you are a lover of words. With great difficulty and some guessing web searches, I managed to decipher the name under the cat's paw, so that I could give them a plug. So I hope they don't mind my using the picture.
~
11 comments:
If no one comments, it's going to look like you're talking to yourself even on your blog and we can't have that. Don't worry tho', everyone is complaining about a paucity of bloggy readers. I think it must be the recession!
Time to get a cat! When I lived alone (and I was younger then!) I always talked to my three boys. Otherwise, considering my job at the time, I might never have had an intelligent conversation!
And I am sure you are too nice to ever have an animadversion pop out in public!
G, I think you have put your finger on it. When my children were at home we always had a cat, but I've never had one since I lived on my own. Nine years ago, when I last had my house exterior decorated, I had a catflap fitted, with every intention of getting one soon, but somehow I always find an excuse not to get one. It feels rather as though I shall be saying "right,now I've got a cat I'm just a little old lady"! Even so, every so often, I go to the local Blue Cross animal rescue centre to see what cats they've got, but there has never been one right for me.
Kapgaf, interesting what you say. I tend to assume I have lost people's interest by not blogging enough. Certainly there was a time a year or two back when I had many more comments, but then I did go several months without blogging faiarly recently. I'm also aware that my personal moods may colour my blogging and make it less enjoyable to read. There are times when my spirits are low, that I am really scratching round for something to say.
WE'RE READING...WE'RE READING...
Many blogs I follow ask why so few comments. If others are like me they are reading when they can fit it in but haven't time to comment, or can't think of anything to say. And if others are like you and me, Judith, they are also sometimes talking to themselves-- I prefer to call it "Thinking Aloud."
:)
There's a lot going on in our lives and so also in our minds. Maybe our age hustles it along, but I think I have always done it, off and on, when alone.
annie
So right,Annie,I follow fewer blogs than I did in the beginning, because there just isn't time in my day, or room in my head. And being committed to writing a blog I feel it should come first before reading them. But that's a pity, because one of the good things about blogs is they can create cyber communities if there is a good exchange between blogger and commenters.
But it still seems odd that a shortage of commenters is currently being commented on - is it really something new I wonder?
Hello Judith. I just came across your Blog. I like it and had added it on my Blog List. I hope you do not mind.
Hi, again, Judith. Well, I have been following Russ Stutler's Sketching Forum since December, 2005, and people have been commenting since the beginning that they want feedback for the sketches, but though there is a lot of Viewing, there are few comments.
http://sketching.cc/forum/
I stink at links so this may not take.
:)
annie
Lovely sketching website, Annie, I have bookmarked it. I know one of the names on it, Julie Oakley, who lives in the village next to mine.
There are so many social networks now that perhaps people are overloading themselves, with email groups, blogs, Facebook, Twitter etc. and find they can't cover them all properly. I stick to email groups and blogs or I should quickly go demented.
Glad you liked the website, Judith. It inspired me to start sketching after years of doing none.I still don't do much but far more than none.
I think you are SPOT ON--Listen to me,I've been watching BBC ANTIQUE ROADSHOW-- because I had a wonderful pile of links on my Google Reader, but indeed I was "quickly demented." I had to cut my list down to a third.
annie
Keep Blogging Judith. You are a wonderful read. I stop reading when there isn't a new blog on a regular basis.
You must get a cat or two. Makes life so much better.
I talk to myself too and it has gotten to be a bit embarrasing but it doesn't hurt any thing so just go with it.
My father used to talk to himself when we were together. If I said, "What did you say, Daddy?" he would often reply in an offended tone, "None of your business!"
These days it often looks as though the world is talking to itself, as everyone goes around with those things in their ears, chattering away.
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