Songs of the not-so innocent

So what happened this time? Don't know... it seemed to be going... I suppose 'well' is too strong a word... decent, by his standards, shall we say? Hmm... was he being himself again? That's not exactly appealing, you know. Hey, c'mon, that's a bit harsh. He's okay... maybe too melancholic at first glance, but we know better... he's a nice guy... funny as hell. Exactly the problem, idiot. We know him well... that's taken time, not to mention a lot of effort on our part... he doesn't really make a great first impression. Or the second, come to that. Perhaps... but, he tried this time... really, he did. Did he? Seems to me, he could have done better... if he'd made that decision... booked that ticket.... Fuck that! It was a bloody good thing he didn't and you know it. Imagine landing up there and finding out. Puhlease!! He should have done it... it would have shown intent . Guys, the way I see it, intent wouldn't have ...

In conversation with a recent acquaintance last week, I realised my contribution to the exchange was gradually becoming one-dimensional. After the easy  hors d'oeuvres , the main course was a well-plated dish of almost nothing. In that, I could only talk about work-related stuff, which (even to me) suggests that I am a very boring guy, with no real interests or hobbies. No life, basically. Admittedly, talking to new people is difficult, and gets more challenging as we grow older. If you are lucky enough to meet them early in life, then there's no pressure to come across as an interesting person. You are who you are and social Darwinism will either cull or preserve, and allow your friendship/relationship to evolve. On the other hand, meeting someone new when you're entrenched in a demanding job, with nary a social activity in sight, challenges the limits of creativity. The most mundane of things have to be generously embellished; you have to constantly evaluate where this...