Craving Intelligent Conversation
“Intelligent conversation” with people is something I really miss since moving to the small island of Lanzarote in 2004. When I lived in London, I had a lot of friends who were into similar things as me, and also people on more or less the same intellectual level whom I could talk to about “anything and everything”, but finding like-minded people, or even people who like to talk about other stuff on this tourist-ridden rock than the colour of their neighbours’ new curtains, is a bit of a rarity.
Having my family over the last week, I was shocked once again that any time I start talking about things like astronomy (e.g. the first time a black hole was captured on photograph earlier this month), medicine (treatment of migraines etc.), politics, religion, the state of the world and positive things on how we can bring about change, the possible side effects of veganism – to mention just a few subjects – only 10 seconds after I start talking I am either greeted by blank stares, a quick change of conversation, or even being told that nobody wants to know. I was very upset this evening when my mum told me the latter over our meal at the Chinese, and I simply shut up for the rest of the evening and sat there in a strop, listening to them talk about the fat drunk guy who sat at the next table, or how the children over at that other table should be treated by their parents, or that the woman on that other table shouldn’t have a haircut like that because it doesn’t suit her (just to give examples).
I am soooo tired of people talking about trivial crap like that!!! I must admit, I do so too at times, but is there really nothing else people can talk about? And even when I ask them to tell me about themselves, they start on that, and a minute later the conversation again veers off to talk about other people and their problems. All I want is to hear about them, not some other people whom I don’t even know. But they can’t even do that! And if I talk about myself, I often get told that I only ever talk about myself and I don’t want to know about others, which is totally not true! And then I end up feeling guilty and thinking there is something wrong with me.
I have never been one to follow any herd, and I’m proud to say that I have never voted in my life, because I will not be swayed by what the media says about this or that wonderful politician who should be in power. Unless I have known this person personally for some time, I will not simply cast my vote for him or her and then trust them to run a municipality, state or country. This, in my opinion, is exactly why Brexit happened, because they let people who don’t, can’t or don’t want to think for themselves vote on something they don’t know a thing about and because the media fed them a lot of BS, which they believed.
But to get back to the point… 90% of the general public are something exotic and far removed from me because of all of the above, and because I crave more intelligent conversation than them. I cannot be listening to trivial pap all night when I go to the pub or for a meal, it makes me cringe after having to listen to it for more than half an hour, and I feel like I want to run away screaming and go home, because I can have more stimulating conversations with my cats (ok, joke).
I am, however, grateful for the less than a handful of friends I do have in Lanzarote, with whom I can talk about more stuff than just talking about other people or pointless celebrities. I like to hear things from others what their beliefs are, what music or movies they like and discuss those, talk about languages and their quirks, the environment, cat genetics (seriously!), latest advances in technology or medicine, photography and hobbies (not just my hobbies, but theirs too – most people don’t seem to have hobbies though!), and I would love to hear their opinions on things – but just like hobbies, people don’t seem to have their own opinions much either, and I find myself alone and frustrated and my brain and intellect feel like they’re about to die…. 🙁
