How about this weather?

Conversation with strangers, at this time of year, in Minnesota, is depressing. Hollow conversation, designed to kill the time and the tension in a waiting room or break a silent stare over a cash register while we wait for a server somewhere to approve a credit card transaction, is always a blast-and-a-half. This time of year, though, it's particularly bad. Why? Because 90% of such conversation is about the weather.

Yesterday, it was 60 degrees (Fahrenheit, that is; 16C for my canuck readers... er, reader) and sunny. Apparently, it was a fluke. The weather channel says we won't even see 40 again during the next two weeks. I made the most of the day - took my cousins to the park - but I still hate being toyed with like this, and it doesn't help that every clerk, co-worker, or fellow waiting-room occupant ends up talking about it.

I guess we talk about it because it's one thing we know we all have in common; the guy sitting next to you may not have read the book you're reading or seen the TV show you watched last night, but if he has a pulse, he's probably noticed the weather. There have got to be other topics, though. Pretty much everyone goes through the same basic set of medical checkups, vaccinations, etc. Maybe the next time I'm sitting next to another guy in a waiting room, I'll open with, "How about that turn-your-head-and-cough thing? I don't know about you, but I wish they'd warm up the latex gloves a little before diving into that one!" I can't wait until I reach 50 and have the mandatory testing for colon cancer. Anytime I end up chatting with another older gentleman, I'll gently segue away from the cold temperature oustide: "Speaking of uncomfortable, how did you like that colonoscopy? Whoo boy, is that a trip!"

Hey, it's gotta be better than another dang conversation about the weather.