Saturday, February 27, 2016

When sweat smells like perfume

"It's a good thing that the rain they talked about doesn't seem to be happening" she said.

Yep, I was back in the grocery store and--yet again--engaging in small-talk with the checkout clerk.  The difference is that I have rarely ever been at her counter.

"Oh, is that the forecast?" I asked.

"Oh yeah."  She oozed with confidence about that.

"You know, this time of the year, the rain is no surprise.  No big deal.  So, I don't pay much attention to it, unless I want to walk about" I said.

I don't understand why people seem to get all worked up about the usual winter snow in the Dakotas or rains in Oregon or the summer heat in Arizona or, heck, even faculty being pompous and delusional!  Only the proverbial man bites dog should make the news!

"That's a good attitude to have.  It is not stressful then" she agreed.

Of course it is not stressful--my blood pressure readings are consistently normal ;)

I suppose we are humans and we whine.  We complain about the heat, the rain, the snow, the cold, the sweat, the whatever.  It will be heaven on earth if we simply stopped whining about this and that.

Back when I was a kid, I loved hanging out with my father's uncle. He was no role model for a human ideal and he had more than the average share of human failings.  Even while fully aware of his shortcomings, I liked him because of his sharp intellect and wit.  Once, during the peak summer days in Madras (as the city was known then) when he was visiting, my brother complained about the humidity and how stinky the sweat was.  The uncle did not miss a beat.  "Tell me when the sweat smells like a perfume and I will collect a bottle of it."  We all laughed.

Laugh away your stress.


3 comments:

Ramesh said...

"It's a good thing that the rain they talked abut doesn't seem to be happening" - HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

You asked for it.

By the way when do you lot vote on the primaries ? Would love to see the Donald striding around your campus and shaking your hand :):):)

Mike Hoth said...

Complaining about the weather, no matter what it is, seems to be a beloved pastime of Oregonians. I have friends who pump gas and when customers choose to talk about anything other than business it's a complaint about the weather. Fall is too cold, winter is too wet, spring brings out the allergies and summer is too hot. I always tell them it's because people in the Willamette Valley don't know what real weather is! :)

Sriram Khé said...

Ramesh, your dream will never materialize. For one, Oregon is way too smart for any significant number to support Trump. Most loyal GOP folks--like Anne and Mike here--seem to be clear that Trump ain't worth their vote. Finally, has Trump ever been to college campus for rallies unlike Bernie? I don't think so. Especially Oregon's college youth--most of them--are way middle-of-the-road for the fascist and hate spewing Trump.
And, oh, I don't get to vote in the primaries--those are restricted to party-affiliated voters and I am not affiliated with any. Not only because of my independent thinking but also because I believe that academics and journalists should not publicly self-identify with political parties.

I have no idea why people complain about the summer, Mike--the valley is a paradise those months ...