Incomprehensible

Blonde – “Oh God, get your own personality!”

Brunette – “Never!”

Genuine snippet of conversation between two girls sat on the train across the aisle from me. I have, of course, no idea what they were talking about. In fact, much of what they are saying now is incomprehensible too. I gather that some of it is about the guys that they know.

I’m in two minds now. Shall I talk about the girls? Their conversation? The general incomprehensibility of strangers? Or would you be more interested in my thoughts about how someone could set about getting their own personality?

None of the above? Oh, you are a stickily lot! Okay then, how about if I tell you about something funny that I just saw.

You know how you get these announcements in trains and you never know where they’re coming from or who is delivering them? Well, I just saw the deliverer of one of these messages.

He was in the throes of telling us all about where the dining car was situated and when I looked up, it was obvious that the girl stood near him was dithering. She must have looked hungry to him, and so in need of extra directions because suddenly, over the tannoy, he began saying that the dining car was “that way, that way – not that way – that way”.

It was only because I saw him delivering this message and gesticulating at the same time that it made sense to me. To everyone on the train it must have been pretty incomprehensible.

So there you go – two things that could have been incomprehensible to me. One of them was and the other was not. What made the difference? Just the fact that I saw the context for one and not for the other.

So, what lesson do I take from this? I can think of a few. What do you think?