How bizzare

: 'Ordinary' by Train
: Rested

It was worthy of a Dwana experience (since she's a social worker, and it blazes in neon above her head).

I put my clothes into the washers and decided that since the pool was vacant, the cloud cover made it less like for me to turn into a lobster, and the pool is right next to the laundry, that I would take some time and relax, float, do a little swimming.

I tend to smile, nod, or say hello to everyone regardless of gender, race, age, etc., unless they're obviously in the midst of a psychotic break and dangerous, anyway. I guess I just like to acknowledge people's existence (and obviously I've never lived in really big cities, where you're discouraged from this). So I'd said hi to guy as I passed with the first batch of laundry. Later on, he saw me swimming and struck up a conversation that started with the pool, went on to where he worked (a large grocery chain that apparently just acquired the second-largest in the area), then how he and his wife of twelve years are in the midst of a divorce (he'd hired someone to put on an addition to the house and now the guy's moved in, he's out, and she served him divorce papers at work), how he's trying to work through things and still be in his kids' lives, that sort of thing.

Now mind you, he's not a raving loon or anything--the conversation was not solely monopolised by him, and everything had proper transitions, etc. I think he was just someone who needed to talk to someone and didn't really have anyone to lend a sensitive ear, and he sensed I'd talk to him, and oddly enough, he picked someone who had 1) worked for the same company in the past 2) was the product of divorce as a child and could offer advice from a kid's point of view and 3) had been the innocent party in a divorce herself. I don't think he was coming on to me or anything. (Being Baptist, I don't think we would necessarily click on many of our views, for example--but again, what little religious upbringing I had was Baptist, so I understand their views on divorce). He stayed outside the fence and I stayed in the pool. I think he left feeling better. I went and put my clothes in the dryer, then headed back to the apartment because a storm's blowing up. But it was a little surreal.

Maybe I need to hang a 'the doctor is in' sign up next time? I hope it helped him, anyway, and goodness knows I need practice talking to unfamiliar people. Considering I was in a bathing suit, in a pool, without my glasses on, I think I did pretty darn well. :)

Speaking of comfort, my dog is getting very antsy with the storm and needs comfort and I should probably unplug the phone line from the computer. I've got a little time before the dryers should be finished. Ta.