Listening In By Accident

It’s not that I planned to listen in…I just happened to be sitting somewhere, intensely working on the first round of edits for my next book.

      I had chosen a place where I would be both comfortable and possibly, just possibly be privy to a bit of idle conversation bits. Working in silence can sometimes stunt my creativity. Okay, you decide. Read the following conversation and tell me that it would not have made you laugh to the point of tears upon hearing it. (Just for the record, I did not laugh aloud, but the laughter I held in, drove me to tears)

     Man: We need rocks. We need boulders really in the hallways. They represent the intense landscape of the music. I need these to complete my vision.

     Woman hanging on his every word: I’m obsessed with it. Obsessed with it. Let’s make it happen.

    Another Woman in the Triad: I’m questioning the ergonomic viability for the musicians who will be playing their instruments on the, the, stones. I’m going to submit a veto here.

     Man: This just has to happen, and up there (as he pointed to a second floor way the hell up from where we were). They need to be the grounding impediment to the onlookers, drawn in by the sheer weight and massive obstruction before them.”

      Woman: “Yes, yes, the obstruction. Truly, obsessed with this vision.”

      Second Woman: “How will we get said rocks up there? It’s a logistical nightmare. How about if we simply project rocks, the image of rocks?”

     Man: “No. Hard no. A projection is so flat. We need dimension, weight, in order to support the musical piece the patrons will experience.”

      Then, they wandered out from under the acoustical area of the building and I couldn’t hear how things ended. A weekend went by and I returned to continue my edits, filled with new thoughts, twists and turns for my characters to endure, when the former triad, now a group of about ten, walked up. I mean, I had to listen! It was like they needed me to hear where they were in his “vision!”

      Man: “I can’t pretend that the projection doesn’t disappoint me. Truly, a devastating understatement.”

     Woman: “Yes, yes, I share your grief. It would have been magnificent. But since we are settled on the projection for practical purposes, what if we moved this all to the main floor…perhaps adding an eagle’s nest to, to further the environmental surround.”

     New Woman: “Hmmm…does the music reference an eagle? I’m just wondering if there might be some confusion by the patrons…”

      Woman: “The vision supersedes the actual musical piece by enhancing the listeners expectations.” (Me to myself, “What the hell does that even mean?”)

       The group of ten moved along and I have no idea how this all ended. Oh, how thankful I was for these snippets of conversation. They were so ludicrous and grandiose. My writing improved 500% because of it. No, the story I was/am working on does not include that conversation. It’s that I had the opportunity to listen to others plead their case. Listening is so rewarding.

     Have you heard any bits of conversation that just made you giggle inside recently? Share, share, please!!!! Thank you for reading my piece today.