My sister and I were talking about how several members of our family (including we two) are somewhat challenged when it comes to speaking. It’s always been this way. She’ll say something and stop mid sentence, and her husband will say, “Where are the words? Where are the words? I need words!” And Marty will do the same with me as I speak in half sentences and somehow expect the rest to be intuited. I know there are others who communicate this way, but I think we’re on the extreme end as we both have a habit of just coming to a full stop in mid sentence, when it gets to be too much, and trying to mentally telepath to people (you think I’m joking, but it’s what we’re trying to do, if unconsciously) and finally with people who haven’t the knack of communicating via physical signals and mental telepathy, we must reengage the speech center and try to find the words, which just isn’t nearly as efficient a way of doing things. It’s just not, y’know, nearly as efficient.
Sister: You know what I’m talking about, the uhm, you know…
Me: The uhm…
Sister: Yes…
Me: Right, right!
Sister: You know…
Me: Oh, I know…
Sister: Yes! Yes! Oh, I almost forgot. Do you remember, last time we were talking about, uhm…
Me: About, uhm…oh, yeah, right, right…
Sister: Right, right…well, I went ahead and…
Me: Oh, Ok…
Sister: And they…
Me: Oh, Ok…
Sister: So, I don’t know.
Me: We’ll see.
Sister: And, uhm, uh, you know…
Me: Yes! Right! The uhm…
Sister: Right…
Me: Oh, yeah!
Sister: Exactly! And the…
Me: The uhm, right, right, I know! I know!
Sister: Right! Exactly. The uhm…
Me: Yes, and you remember the uhm…
Sister: Yes! Yes! That was…
Me: I know! I know!
Sister: And…
Me: I know! I know! And…
Sister: Exactly!
Me: So, you’ll be gone how long?
Sister: Two weeks.
Me: Where?
Sister: This place, uhm…
Me: Oh, no, I don’t know that place. I know…
Sister: Yeah, that’s not the one. It’s…
Me: I remember. You went there…
Sister: Yeah, that’s right. I didn’t know…
Me: Yeah…
Sister: I guess so…
Me: Did you…
Sister: Yes…
Me: Oh, and uhm…
Sister: I know! I know!
Me: Too funny.
Sister: Where’s the, uhm..
Me: The…
Sister: Right…
Me: I saw…
Sister: Oh, right. There…
Me: OK.
Sister: And the, uhm…
Me: The uhm…I don’t know…the uhm…
Sister: You know…the…uhm…
Me: Yeah, yeah. I know. I don’t know where it is.
Sister: Oh, wait. It was…
Me: Maybe…
Sister: No.
Me: How about…
Sister: Right! Here it is! You know I do this, I say to (husband) where is uhm, what…
Me: Yes!
Sister: Yes! And he says, ‘Where are the words?’
Me: I know. Exactly! And uhm…
Sister: Right! And…
Me: Yes, I know!
Sister: And the kids, they look at me like…
Me: Yes…
Sister: So I tell them, see, see, I’m not the only one who’s like this! It runs…
Me: Yes, I know, I know. And…
Sister: And…
Me: Yes! And…
Sister: I know…and it’s like…
Me: Yes! And…
Sister: And…
Me: Yes! And…
Sister: Right! Right! You know!
Me: I know! I know!
Sister: Exactly! No one else understands!
Me: Why not? It’s plain as day! Right?
Sister: I know! I know!
(By now we’re collapsing with laughter and continue to double over and slap the table and fall out on the floor for a good five minutes, all the while monosyllabic. Finally we regain our composure.)
Me: And…
Sister: And…
Me: And…
Sister: And…
Me: Yes, yes.
Sister: They don’t understand.
Me: Yeah, well, but then…
Sister: I know…
Me: Oh, uhm, before we go I need to…
Sister: Oh, yeah, and I need to…
Me: Yeah, have you heard from…
Sister: Yes, and they’re…
Me: Ok…
Sister: Do you have…
Me: No, I don’t…
Sister: We’ll have to…
Me: Ok, and don’t forget…
Sister: I know. You remember when…
Me: Yes, yes! That was so funny…
Sister: And…
Me: I know…
Sister: Well, I need to…
Me: OK, and we’ll…
Sister: Right…
Me: OK.
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