M--- has decided to talk to me. Finally, we've been out socially a few times, I know him through extended acquaintances, he's a larger built guy, mid 30's, dresses in a bad but expensive khaki linen blazer, hankie in the pocket, he's solvent, rumour has it it's from his brother who pays him a million dollars per year not to show any interest in the family business. He honours his word, takes his money, plays the big wheel himself, plays at real estate developer, financier, drives an expensive car and always seems to have a ready supply of party favours. I know this of him without speaking to him, merely listening, and I wonder what he knows of me. At the bar, a good natured ribbing about his resemblance to Don Johnson (give or take 80 pounds) and he decides to honour me with his conversation.
-"Your a journalist, I hear from my brother..."
I'm so-so, was, didn't work out, not at the moment...
"Tell me what you're working on now.."
I hum and haw, I don't like to discuss current projects, it dooms them...
"Tell me and I'll tell you. I write as well. I'm studying neuroscience..."
This is interesting. Tell me more...
"Well, there's lots to say, but I'm going to sum it up in 5 words..."
He doesn't. 200 words later and he's no closer. The conversation changes...
"So I'm guessing you're a liberal...?"
Yep. That's me.
"Define Liberal for me versus Conservative...."
I'm on the spot, an intuitive understanding doesn't seem to lend itself well to the 5 word limit. I think quick and badly..."It seems to me that a liberal is someone that accepts the way things are, where as a conservative wants things to be the way they used to..."
He's quick to pounce, so quick that I have to wonder if he didn't prepare this in advance..."2000 years ago the Romans used to sit at the table and eat on toilets so they could shit at the same time, and every man used to jack off his neighbor and then they had sex with a slave girl...It was conservatives that decided this had to stop!"
In the end I'm not sure if he's telling me he's liberal or conservative, but the conversation is allowed to drop, the bar is closing and the hunt for the party is on...