The Sheila Variations

Just an observation

It drives me crazy when people are literally UNABLE to step off their soapbox, even for just one teeny tiny little moment.

I myself have a soapbox, which I have been known to drag about with me. I have even taken my soapbox with me on dates. I didn't MEAN to, I thought I was just carrying a cute little clutch-bag, but then something unforeseen would occur, and BOOM - out would come the soapbox.

And I know how ... well ... how BORING I feel when I am lugging around my soapbox. In the moment, I feel all fired up with passion and conviction, and I am unable to see people's eyes glaze over who are listening to me.

But the soapbox has never been "too much with me, late and soon".

It is not the filter through which I see all events. (Question: can a soapbox be a filter? Ah well, I'm mixing my metaphors again.)

It's so petty, it's so BORING to talk to someone who cannot step down off their soapbox.

Because then: where is the surprise? Where is the enjoyment of communication? If I know what the hell you are going to say, before you even open your damn mouth, then I have no interest in talking to you.

Yawn. Yawn.

Ben Kepple has a review up of Lost in Translation, which I also saw and loved. Why I mention this, in connection with the boring-ness of soapboxes, is because of the first comment made to the post.

Jeez, dude, lighten up. At least say: "I didn't like the acting." "The story didn't grip me." Whatever. But no, you had to go all "liberals will love this movie because it reinforces their feelings of being better than everyone else", blah blah. Yak yak yak.

THAT'S the kind of boring-ness of which I speak.

Posted by sheila