Chatter

If you're ever in a store and you see a woman walking around, looking at the shelves, and talking to herself, don't jump to the conclusion that she's crazy. Today, while waiting for a prescription in the drug store, I watched some of the women who were shopping. They're reading labels out loud. They're asking questions and there is no one around to answer. They're wondering aloud if the generic is just as good as the name brand. As I watch and listen, I realize that I do that too. I walk around and talk to myself when I'm shopping or performing another task. Maybe I am losing it. Maybe I have created a group of imaginary friends who can listen to me, but never talk back. Then, I realized the true reason women do this... It's chatter. Chatter is all we hear. It's like a constant white noise that starts when we wake up and doesn't stop. It's the radio, the alarm clock, the bathroom noise, the kids waking up, the husband asking where his favorite t-shirt is. It's the noise at the breakfast table, the school bus, the car radio, the teacher, the cashier in the coffee shop. It's work and traffic. It's the hum of the computer, the windchimes outside, the birds, the cat scratching to get in (or out), the phone, your BFF telling you about her crazy day, Noggin, Disney, or whatever channel is on in your house. It's the microwave, the fridge, the sink, the dishwasher. It's cooking, laundry, vacuuming. It's kids fighting and laughing and yelling and asking you over and over and over to come and play with them or to "watch this, Mommy." It's reading books and husbands snoring. It's constant chatter and noise. It's endless. So, when ladies are by themselves, they don't know what to do. They feel lost without that chatter. So, they start talking to themselves. Don't laugh. Don't stare. Don't judge. Because you do it too - you probably just don't realize. Just treat the poor woman like you would a sleepwalker - let them be unless they're going to harm themselves!