Old guys constantly interrupt each other. Regular people do it as well, but do it to agree with, or to counter a point that was made. Old guys do it for a different reason. We interrupt because we\u2019re afraid we\u2019ll forget what we want to say. The thought will evaporate into thin air if we don\u2019t get into the conversation immediately. And, when it does, we stop listening and spend our time trying to resurrect it from the murky sludge inside our skull. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s not hard to break into a conversation when the old guy talking runs into a memory block and says something like, \u201cWhat was that guy\u2019s name?\u201d It creates a pause in his babbling, allowing for an easy path to grab the reins. When that doesn\u2019t happen, and we can\u2019t wait for an opening, we interrupt. <\/p>\n
My friend Mike (with an S at the beginning and end of his name) has developed a counter measure to stop an interrupter. He hops back into the conversation, looks the guy in the eye and says, \u201cSorry I was talking while you were interrupting!\u201d It throws him off. \u201cHuh,\u201d he responds, not quite getting the point. Too late! Mike is back in the driver\u2019s seat.<\/p>\n
One old coot conversation that takes place without interruption is what we call \u201cOld Man Poker.\u201d A guy will say he had a knee replaced. Another guy will say he\u2019s had both knees replaced. A third will say, \u201cOh yea; I\u2019ve had both knees done plus a hip.\u201d It\u2019s like a poker game when the betting is over and it\u2019s time to declare your hand. On and on it goes in old man poker \u2013 knees \u2013 hips \u2013 shoulders, heart stents and so forth until someone comes in with a royal flush and says, \u201cI haven\u2019t had anything done; all my parts are intact and working fine.\u201d We hate this guy. He won\u2019t be invited back. <\/p>\n