SOLSC 17: Random Conversation Not Pursued

           I was at the gym today, on the stationary bike. Each cardio machine has a TV attached, and if there weren’t one, I could never force myself to keep going. The time, pace, and speed numbers are helpful, but not alone. I need something that will take my mind away from my legs pumping away.

            Usually I watch the Food Network. Ina Garten, Giada De Laurentiis, Rachael Ray are my favorites. Then I remembered that the Mets are playing a spring training game, and there they were, leading 4-1, and while I watched, they scored 6 more runs. Yay!

            Next to me two men were talking, and when I glanced at what was on their screens, it was the joint news conference with Trump and Angela Merkel. The two men were discussing Trump, his words, how Merkel was responding to him, and what to believe.

            I was strongly tempted to join in. I wanted to ask whether they’d seen the Gail Collins column in the New York Times a week ago, in which she talked about the three versions of Trump.

“Reasonable Chatting Trump is pleasant but useless. Unscripted Trump is pretty close to nuts. And then there’s the Somewhat Normal Republican Trump, who we enjoy calling SNORT.”

            The trouble was, I could only remember “Reasonable Chatting Trump,” and I thought it would sound lame if I couldn’t bring up all three. I tuned my screen to the channel covering the news conference, thinking I might hear something I could use to enter this conversation. Since my husband died, I’ve missed the casual comments that come up when there is another person around. I’d seen these two men at the gym many times, though I’d never spoken to them. Another woman would have joined in, I thought, but how do I become that woman? Maybe I will be that woman another day.