Conversation Hijack
I was at a lovely party the other night, held at the home of a friend of a friend. There was a good-sized group there, and there was a mixture of people who had children and people who didn’t. I felt comfortable and welcomed.
I had started a lovely conversation with a woman I had just met, and she was clearly within weeks (or days) of giving birth. We were talking about her job, her being new to the city, and what life is like for her, etc. I was enjoying getting to know her, and she seemed intelligent and endearing.
Within about 10 minutes of meeting one another, another friend with kids saddled up to the conversation. “When are you due?” she asked, and they launched into talking about birthing and children, which was fine. This woman was obviously about to pop and I’m sure it was at the forefront of her mind.
But it kept on. And as they continued, the pregnant woman shared that this will be her second child, and low and behold, the new woman in the convo had two kids as well! And all of the sudden I found myself silent in the middle of two women talking about how to strategically store toys between child #1 and child #2, so that child #2 could use child #1′s toys at age-appropriate times. There were zip-lock bags involved and sharpie markers and attic shelving and my jaw just dropped. This went on for a solid 15 minutes, and I had not one single thing to add. I just stood there in silence, unable to contribute and unable to leave, as this had been MY conversation to begin with.
It’s amazing how a perfectly good conversation with a potential new friend can be completely commandeered by a rogue, maverick mommy. It was kind of like my car was being hijacked by a thug in a mask, and I was the hostage in the back seat; I was being driven around by two mad, baby-making machines on a toy-organizing tear. I had no good exit strategy. It was a hostile take over.
Mommies, let’s use our manners. Play nicely with others. Learn to share. Don’t take things that aren’t yours, like perfectly enjoyable conversations, for example.
