Of questions and blinkers
Top 3 questions and assumptions that tick me off.
- Why did you go see that band twice (thrice, etc) on their tour?
- Why do you write your book (in English)?
- Why do you have a website/write a weblog?
(All the gigs are the same, aren't they?)
(I can't write (in English), why should anyone else?)
(I couldn't do it, so it must be nonsense.)
I used to have a standard reply to this kind of thing: "Because I can." I can't even be bothered with that anymore. Now it's just steely look and a shrug and the hope the conversation ends. Not one of my more charming traits.
(See also: 'Why don't you go to Indonesia? (I went and loved it, so must you.) and 'Why don't you believe in God?' (I'm so bloody happy, you can be too.') )
I find that the best way to deal with "Why do/did..." questions is to turn them around. Why wouldn't the other person see a band play live more than once, write their book in English, have a website? Once you understand what they find so outlandish about it, you're in a position to provide a more focused response that might actually get through to them.
Hmmyeah, by that time I've usually classified the person as 'completely uninteresting'.
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