Rain before social pain

This is my occasional lunchtime-blog-from-the-cafe-courtyard thing. The reason I’m out here in the (lovely, fresh) spitting rain, and not all cozy and warm indoors is that I really didn’t want to sit at an andjacent table to someone I’ve never met, but who I have observed to be a bit of an energy vampire. I know I’m prejudging, but I just didn’t fancy having to deflect the inevitable invitations to be drawn into somebody’s world. Not wanting to be blunt or brutal, I chose avoidance.

The other day I picked up a friend from the gym. As she got into the car, she apologised for possibly being a bit smelly, as she hadn’t showered. ‘Not that you would say anything, of course!’ Which got me wondering, could I achieve that level of social honesty without alienating people? I tried it out, enthusiastically proclaiming ‘whew-ee, what a stink!’ and rolling the windows down.

We’re still friends. I think.