Growing up, my occasional trips from the suburbs to the City were the occasions when I came into contact with those folks my parents called bums. Now we would call them homeless and understand that many of them suffer from addictions and mental illness. I just knew that many of them talked to people who were not there and I was told to ignore them and what they said.
So the fact that everywhere I go now, there are people talking to no one there is very disconcerting to me.
Today I saw people talking to no one on the treadmill at the gym, in the grocery store, in an elevator and in the car behind me. In fact, the woman in the car behind me was having one of the most animated conversations I have ever seen. She was gesturing with both hands, waving them through the air, pointing at things. Her head was nodding emphatically. She was shrugging her shoulders and her face was a concert of emotions.
I am not sure I will ever get used to this.
