Being a writer, I’m always on the hunt for creative inspiration. Being a latte-loving writer, I’m always at a coffee shop listening to what I hear going on around me, whether I want to or not.
Because of this, I recently created a Microsoft Word document on my computer called “Things I Hear.” It stays there, on my desktop, ready to be opened the second I hear something that catches my attention, like a sudden sparkle on a radar.
I’m not referring to an especially profound statement overheard when someone important is talking, or something mundane that I need to hear, like the weather report. What I put in that document are snippets of conversations (that I’m not involved in) that catch me off-guard when I’m out at my coffee shops, train stations, and other everyday gathering places.
Originally, I thought this would help me with my personal writing projects: my poetry, my someday-novel, my journal entries. I started off hoping to hear someone mention a deep, dark secret or say something that would leave me inspired for months. This hasn’t happened (yet).
I will admit, sometimes the things I hear and jot down seem to be funny only because they’re so far removed from context. Take this person, for example, who was chatting with his friend over iced tea, dispensing wisdom about his life:
Person: So, after going to seminary, I thought, “I can’t do church.” Now I, like, run a church.
It was hard not to laugh at that one, sitting only two tables away.
Another example is hearing conversations that bring cyberspace into real life:
Woman walking with her friend downtown Chicago, pushing a stroller and carrying a yoga mat: So, I saw your Facebook post about the political candidate you were talking about, and I wanted to “like” the post, but I decided not to “like” it, you know?
Sometimes, I think, things are lost in translation from the internet to the here and now. In general, the oddities you can hear in real life are actually endless, if you listen.
Some pieces of conversations seem meaningless on the surface, but hold more significance upon closer inspection. For example, I overheard two businessmen meeting at an outdoor table at Starbucks the other day:
Man 1, approaching table: Hey, so, what’s your story, anyway?
Man 2, already seated at table: Well, to be honest, I’m still making it up.
At first glance, that conversation seems pretty random and devoid of meaning outside of its context – and I’m not even sure what that context is – but it also speaks a lot of truth by itself. Who isn’t constantly making up his or her life story? And who’s actually honest enough to admit that?
It’s kind of the same thing with the woman referencing Facebook, and the guy who was less-than-eloquently talking about his surprising career. What other people say might not be in your style or language, but it’s common ground nonetheless.
Whether or not I’ve caught some lines that might find their way into a future novel or poem, I’ve learned this: at first glance, people say the craziest things. At second glance, we can all relate.
