The Eavesdropper: . . . and like

Almost daily I take myself to lunch.  Today I ate at Chili's in Gainesville.  I am such a creature of habit and rarely stray from the normal club sandwich; but today I chose the babyback ribs and sweet potato fries.  I highly recommend them.

Meanwhile, three young women sat in a booth in front of me.  The waitress asked if they went to the  University of Florida.  One young lady answers,  "No, but like I want to transfer there after I finish with Santa Fe Community College."

Waitress:  "What will you major in?'

Girl 1:  "Like maybe science."  Then the waitress took their order while I kept eating my babyback ribs and eavesdropping.

Girl 2 to Girl 3:  Like where did you go last night?

Girl 3:  Like Bob and I went bar-hopping, and like we had a really good time.

Girl 1:  And like did Bob get wasted?

Oh, my word.  The and likes in their conversation was driving me crazy. 

When I left the restaurant I reflected on the last fourth grade classes I taught in 2010.  One little girl had written an essay about the Fall Festival.  "Hallelujah!"  I remember thinking.  "Now I have something to teach these kids."    The paper went something like this:

I went to the Fall Festival and like it was fun.  I like went into the haunted house and like it scared me to death.  And like this body in a casket raised up and like I screamed and like I ran out of that room, etc. 

I made a copy of her essay and flipped it on the overhead and began my lecture.  First off, I praised and rewarded the "writer" for writing the essay like this because it gave me the opportunity to teach a much needed skill:  the art of getting to the point.  By the end of the essay, I had successfully marked through 43 and likes or like.  Then I pretty much warned the class that if this continued in their essays, then they would like rewrite the whole essay.  Luckily, I never saw the and likes in essays the rest of that school year.

Now back to today's story.  I left Chili's with and likes twirling in my head.  Then I decided to stop at a B&B to get a Pay Day candy bar to take home to Mom.  And like I just changed my mind and like I bought Cheetos Puffs instead, and like they were sooo good.

I left B&B and climbed in the car and my brained screamed, "Stop it with the and likes!" 

So I hummed Christmas Carols and Easter songs the rest of the way home.  And the  likes and and likes evaporated.  Thank the Lord!

Comments

[gary boiteaux]

And like.the story was great. LOL

[Elizabeth Reyes-Ruffa]

This is hilarious Merry! -- Liz