Strangers

My sabbatical stop in MinnieSoooootha is so strange. I haven’t lived here in five years and wow already I see such a difference from Chicago—even though both are based in the Midwest.

In Chicago, if someone is angry or annoyed they are not afraid to let you know it, same goes if they are elated or interested in something—strangers don’t have a problem speaking up and just letting their obnoxious thoughts flow... I guess something should be said for the repressed Minnesotans. Thanks all for shutting up because I guess I don’t really want to hear it. Of course this doesn’t keep me from being quiet. I think I scare these Minnesotans. Like the other day in Target I hear a mother and daughter gabbing about something, literally having a loud blasé conversation one foot from my head and I couldn’t help but pipe in; and as soon as I did they both ran far from me with a look of horror. And I'm thinking 'hey you are the ones dishing your crap right in front of me, what did you expect!?'

I have had similar experiences here, such as on the first night of my new job at a local restaurant downtown. I was doing hosting duties and I was all friendly saying such stuff as “Hi! How can I help!? Thanks for coming in! Have a great night!” I know, scary! Okay, not like I’m all cool or that Chicago is cool, but it became very customary there that you develop a relationship with the workers of a restaurant. One just always said goodbye and thank you on your way out to the waitress, manager, etc, even if you were shouting it across the bar; it was just what happened. It was a courtesy. So when I was being all “byeeeee!!!!” to people leaving this place, I got strange reactions. The men looked at me like I was coming on to them and reciprocated my niceties with looks of horror and disgust; the women merely smiled politely, yet secretly as if not wanting to be caught communicating in anyway with a stranger, and then simply squeaked a quick, quiet ‘thanks.’

It was amusing to see these people run from me as if my saying thank you was the worse thing in the world....maybe it’s just me, but I swear I have noticed a clear difference!