Nuns in the City

Sometimes, I overhear conversations which make me crazy - in that the people having the discussion are just so off about the what, the who, the where and the why

Like the time I overheard some people, read co-workers, having a discussion about Robert Parish, the Chief......OO......the formidable center of the 1980's Boston Celtics....and by formidable I mean a seven foot tall black man. He was stoic, he was quiet - he was The Big Man

Why does that matter? Why does it matter he was Seven Feet Tall and Black???

 Because said co-workers (who were all men in their mid thirties to early fifties) were discussing the great Celtic teams of the 1980's - Larry Bird, Dennis Johnson, Danny Ainge, Kevin McHale......

And someone says who was the center?

And another guy says - Kevin McHale  (who by the way is white and gangly)
I'm sitting in my office and I was all What? Kevin McHale?!?! No!

So I figure I'll help them out and I yell
It was Robert Parish
No one hears me

Yeah, Kevin McHale says one of the guys, Remember? He was the big black guy....

Yeah, agree the others

He was huge someone observes

Then someone says,

No! Kevin McHale was white! It was...what was his name.....?

Someone tosses out Danny Ainge

Seriously I think to myself - not only is Danny Ainge white, he's short -

It was Robert Parish I yell out a bit louder

Isn't Danny Ainge the coach now?

Yeah the others agree

Are you kidding me?!?! I seriously am about to explode....

So then someone else piped up and said Dennis Johnson, that was his name!

Dennis Johnson, though black, was short, had freckles and his hair was almost, not quite, red

I couldn't take it anymore, I walked down the hall

Guys! Robert Parish was The Chief! Robert Parish was the Center
Kevin McHale was a forward, Danny Ainge, is not the coach! Doc Rivers is the coach, Danny Ainge is the President of Operations and Dennis Johnson was the point guard!
Robert Parish was the center!

They just looked at me - I walked away

And then I heard someone say, in a she does not even know what she is talking about tone,

Robert Parish? He played with Cousy.....!

Anyway, the point of my story is since then, I try not to get involved in conversations I am not a part of - even when I hear people saying things like

He has prostate cancer? Well hell, just cut off his testicle and he'll be fine!

Okay wait, I was part of that conversation and we all laughed with the person who made it (after of course, mocking said person for such a statement) but if it had been a a stranger who said that, or had it been a conversation between two people not sitting in my presence, I would have minded my own business

So the other day, I hear this gem of a conversation (and no, that is not a typo, they were calling it Downtown not Downton):

Oh my God! Did you watch Downtown Abbey last night?!?!

I totally did! I can't even believe what happened!!!

And there was some jibber jabber about the episode and throughout the conversation, they kept saying Downtown Abbey - I really wanted to correct them but again, I was not part of the conversation

It continues:

You know what I don't get about Downtown Abbey though?

Why they all sound so funny?

No! Well, yeah, they do talk funny, I mean where are they from?!?
But what I don't get is if they are so poor, how can they live at The Palace?

Yeah, I don't know....

Hmm, weird

And they went quiet as they pondered how these poor folk can live at The Palace...and why in teh world do they sound funny?!?

Conversation resumes and they are now talking about Earl (not The Earl, but Earl)

A third person arrives

What are you two talking about?

This awesome show, Downtown Abbey

I don't know what that is.....is it like the new Sex and the City?

The women guffaw and throw him a judgemental "I can't believe you just said that look" and one scoffs

No! Sex and the City? Hardly - this takes place in England....you know, London.....in the olden days.....way before SJP and the girls

What's it called again? he asks

Downtown Abbey

Oh, so is it about nuns in the city....?

The two women giggle again and say Why would there be nuns in it?

Thud......

Was that my head hitting the table or was it King George V spinning in his grave......???

Maria the Mum