the teachable moment

 

Lunch with a successful businessman who was at school with me sometime around the year dot.

"What do you think of people who talk to themselves?" he enquires abruptly.

"I don't have a strong position on the matter," I answer with a modicum of reserve.

"Some of the staff overheard me talking to myself," he explained. "I think they're finding it difficult to treat me with the same respect as before. Do you think it's strange to talk to yourself?"

"Well I never even use that term" I told him. "I much prefer the phrase 'musing aloud.' And don't worry, I can assure you from years of experience, all it means is that you're batshit crazy."