I was in a coffee shop again. I like to work in coffee shops and always have. I think the biggest part of what I like about writing in coffee shops, other than the coffee, is the pressure to work hard and really focus on what’s in front of me. I could stare at the other patrons and ignore my laptop, but then I’d be the creepy girl in the corner and that may not be looked upon to kindly. I feel so strongly about where I work that I’ll drive a half-hour south just to go to a specific coffee joint.
Anyhow, as I sat in my seat, typing away, a woman came into the shop and loudly announced to everyone in the place (she was, I believe, speaking to the owner behind the counter but it was really for all to hear), “It’s so hot, I’m perspiring like a man.” Since I’ve been posting about communication, I thought this was a great example of how communication can be unclear. And, I must note, it wasn’t just what she said, it was how she said it. As if she were the only person in NJ to sweat that day. After she made this announcement, I looked up. Several other people looked up as well. Just like in the movies, we all looked at each other and shrugged in unison. Collectively, we didn’t know what it meant to ‘perspire like a man’. And this attention-seeking woman, probably had her own definition of ‘man-sweat’. Her message was unclear and it may have even been off-putting. One sentence and I instantly disliked her.
I did find an old saying when I decided to look into the meaning of this further. “Horses sweat, men perspire, ladies glow.” You’ll have to take my word for it, she wasn’t glowing.
