I am the Antithesis of Benjamin Franklin - part 2

#2 "SILENCE. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation."

Lazing away on random afternoons, my Dad and I used to waste hours recounting the random thoughts flying across the multimedia TV screens inside our brains.

Here's how you do it:

- sit in silence for approximately 5 seconds
- one person says "Stop!"
- the other person has to try to summarize every thought that occurred in that 5 seconds
- this is when it gets amusing and pretty amazing and it's really hard to do too!
- then switch turns

Pure drivel.

No benefit, all trifle.

Well, at least it's this way for me and Dad. Maybe our pure drivel is genetic, uniquely Gregory. I wonder if other people's thoughts have clarity, linear structure, and intent? I bet our friend Mr. Franklin's did.

I've never played the game with anyone else. Maybe I'm afraid. I'm actually afraid of what I'm about to post here. I have a feeling this 13-part series of blogs on my relationship with Ben are going to leave me feeling quite exposed.

OK, here’s an example of 5 seconds of pure drivel. Although, while reading this, you have to visualize too, because it’s not that I just hear the words, it’s fully produced movie-quality Dolby digital surround sound, HD images of kissing, laughter, beaches, bright red chili sauce on the salad, fortune cookies, bathing beauties with perfect bodies and orange hair, and the smell of hugs and much more. Oh, and I can sometimes taste the peanut butter.

“Holy cow, I ate two tablespoons of peanut butter today and still managed to stay under 1,000 calories! I loved that movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, I wish I could experience the first moments of dating all over again with B. Yesterday we celebrated 9 years of matrimonial bliss. I wonder if everyone feels this way, they must if they made a movie about it. I wonder if I could get away with orange hair, that would be good color. Then I’d REALLY get taken seriously. I need to schedule that cut before we leave for Mexico, man, I can’t believe that is a month away, I have to loose at least 10 pounds before that, I better throw away that peanut butter and no more eating out, even if it’s salad, there are hidden calories all over the place in restaurants. PeiWei was fun with Micquelle today, I need to make more effort to spend time with her, she’s like battery charger. I reckon that I’m more like a lithium battery cause it seems like the longest I go w/out her, the more I get out of our time together. Isn’t that how those work? You have to let them die out dead before you recharge or else they get lazy memory. it’s the same as that cliché, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Wait, is that the same? I’ll have to think that metaphor over a little more, it doesn’t sound right. oh well, the only thing we don’t like about the new Pei Wei is that it doesn’t have a soda button, just a water button, so we can’t ask for free waters and get free club soda anymore. The PeiWei in sugarhouse is better.”