That Uncomfortable Silence

It's kind of telling, isn't it, how people react when you tell them you've done something unconventional? I enjoy it - people see me as pretty straight-laced so once in a while I like to do something that knocks their view of me off-kilter. Especially my mother - a not insignificant part of my motivation for getting a tattoo was to see her reaction when I told her about it. And I still get a kick out of telling people I meet that I have one - even though tattoos are pretty commonplace now, I guess I put out goody-two-shoes square vibes because I almost always get a double-take.

This morning we went for a walk and lunch with friends. They're good people, but we've always had a sneaking suspicion that they're a little more conventional than we are. Actually, quite a lot more conventional. At one point, we mentioned that we'd been to the beach yesterday and, since there are an number of them to choose from around here, the natural response was "Which one?" I waited a second, to give Dean a chance to take the plunge, but he didn't, so I said, simply, "Wreck." Everyone in Vancouver knows about Wreck Beach.

There was a brief, strained pause, then she said "Oh, that's nice." And the subject was hurriedly changed.

I'm guessing we don't have to worry about running into them down there. And that, possibly, we will never be asked to babysit.