2007-06-11
it's all in the details
|Have you been on Rhapsody lately? When you play a song there's a sidebar that gives you some interesting trivia about the recording artist. This is right up my alley. I have always been interested in the details. I ask a lot of questions. Anyone who knows me knows that. Some have gone so far as to call me "nosy"; I'm not sure I like that label. I prefer inquisitive.
But let's get back to the point. When I meet someone I find interesting, I do wonder a lot of inane things. Is there anyone else out there who 1. wonders about stuff like that and 2. is interested in the details of Cardiogirl? These are thoughts that ramble through the hallways of my mind.
Let me give you an example. A couple of months ago we took our youngest daughter to a neurologist. She's fine and he said as much. But this doctor was interesting for a variety of reasons. He is the first and only doctor I have ever met who brought a cold 20-ounce bottle of Coke into the exam room and occasionally stopped talking to take a drink then replace the cap. He did not wear a white exam coat or a tie, which made me casually wonder, "Are you really a neurologist?" And he was a little bit testy in a "I'm the smartest person in this room, hands down" kind of way. He also had a South African accent which was fun.
I found myself wondering, what kind of car does this man drive? His manner of dress leads me to believe his car, whatever the model, is probably trashed inside with folded up scraps of paper and fast food bags. He doesn't wear a wedding band or any ring for that matter. Is he married or does he retain a trophy girlfriend who he never plans on marrying and is 15 years younger than him? Does he like chocolate or is he militant when it comes to his diet, preferring to eat lean meats and vegetables? These are the kinds of questions that pop into my head.
Once I spend more than three minutes with someone and they interest me in some way, I begin to wonder what their tidbits are.
One of Anita Baker's factoids on Rhapsody is as follows: "Baker dominated 1980s Quiet Storm with a rich, soaring voice that sent tingles down nearly every spine in America." I especially like that kind of trivia, the kind that comes from a copy writer somewhere in the bowels of California and sounds so elegant.
You could say, Cardiogirl is nosy. Or you could dress it up and say, Cardiogirl's degree in Journalism is owed to her inquisitive nature and free-flowing writing style. A couple of my own factoids are as follows: I have always harbored the hope that some day someone would give an ode to my writing style by calling something else "Cardiogirl-esque" in the manner that Orwellian or Kafkaesque is used.
In case you're curious: I drive a dark green minivan that has a slight dent in the passenger's side rear door. The dent is not extremely noticeable and occurred on the same day I had to call 911 to help me remove my then 3-year-old daughter's folded arm from the small space between the handrail and the wall. The police, an ambulance and a fire truck showed up to the curiosity of all my neighbors.
Later that day I took the six-month-old baby to the pediatrician to get shots, along with the 3-year-old. On the way home I almost got sideswiped and that is when I dented the passenger door by cutting a turn too close and shaving a telephone pole. I was feeling frazzled that day and my husband didn't get home from work that night until 8:00 pm.
It's a drag having the dent in the door (but it's not worth paying to bump it out) and I prefer to keep the inside of the minivan vacuumed and orderly.
2007-06-11 at 6:50 a.m.
