Saturday, March 22, 2008

Social Hour

Six of us seniors meet every evening, seven days a week after supper to play Rummy for about an hour.  At least it was Rummy when we started five years ago.  We kept simplifying it so we seniors could manage.  We "dumbed down" a children's card game so we could cope with it.

The idea was to socialize for a while every day. But "socializing" means talking doesn't it? Tonight, and most nights, we sit in silence taking our turns and playing our hands in dead silence.

Tonight I grew impatient with this unsocial way of socializing.  I tried opening conversation several times.

ME: Wasn't it fun to see all the kids at the Easter Egg hunt this afternoon.

Dead silence. Jim plays an ace on a king.

ME: I gave out harmonicas and a couple of Kazoos to the kids.

Dead silence.  Thelma silently lays down a seven, eight, nine of hearts.

ME: (Desperate to break through the silence, with a complete non-sequitur.) Ten thousand mosquitoes flew over Niagara Falls.

Dead Silence. 

WILMA (plays three tens and then quietly says) I thought it was nine thousand.

Someone was listening, after all.

 


Tags: , senior chit-chat

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

happy easter friend

Anonymous said...

Is it safe to wheel up to Starbucks after dark? Might find someone who will answer you there. Paula

Anonymous said...

Man that is a lively crowd that you hang out with. At least they all gather together. Wonder if they speak to each other when you first gather. I hope they all enjoy playing the game.
Happy Easter ChucK. Hugs, Helen

Anonymous said...

Did she REALLY say that.  LOLOL  Oh, that must be frustrating.  Hugs!! xox
http://journals.aol.com/valphish/ThereisaSeason

Anonymous said...

It may be time to gather up a more talkative group...Sheila

Anonymous said...

I say to heck with the card game srtike up the band and give them gals a twirl.those in chairs can still go round and laugh and sing--what say -bring that boombox to the next meet and drown out those bats in the bellfrey

WOOT_WOOT

Anonymous said...

Oh, that's funny!

Anonymous said...

LMAO!  You never know who you are getting thru to.

hugs,  Bethe

Anonymous said...

LMAO!!!!! I can just picture you doing this Chuck!!!
God bless,
carlene

Anonymous said...

Mosquitoes in that north-central area (including Canada) can be pretty scary.

I remember one summer evening in northern Michigan. I was walking around the perimeter of Lake Cusino (near the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on Lake Superior) and nearly ran into two mosquitoes who were right in the middle of the trail.

They had brought down a small deer and were having dinner. I overheard their conversation:

#1: Say, let's drag this deer down to the shore and eat him there. We can enjoy the full moon reflecting on the water.

#2: Are you crazy? If we take him down there, the BIG mosquitoes will take him away from us!

(apologies to James Michener)