I TALK TO MYSELF - IT'S NOT ALL THAT WEIRD!

Examining the details of my too often monotonous day to day life takes some rational thinking - often resulting in me defending myself because - well, I'm always right.

I find this sentiment to be especially true when John and I are debating. I think one of my strong talents is spinning something I do that could be considered weird or abnormal into a total normal behavior - let me explain through a recent story.

THE STORY
John and I stopped at a BBQ restaurant to get a quick bite to eat before we headed to the movies. We were the only customers in the restaurant and were patiently waiting for our food to come out.

I'm very comfortable with John. We have lived together in our "partnered" relationship for three years on Thanksgiving. We don't have "uncomfortable silence" and there are few people other than him that I'm one hundred percent comfortable being around.

We were sitting in silence and I was looking out the window thinking about how I might need to do some spin control for my behavior on Halloween.

I was internally debating on whether or not I should apologize to the host of the party for my possibly bad drunken behavior or ignoring it all together and hope nothing bad happened - because I'm not sure what exactly happened...once the evening reached a certain point...it all is a bit blurry due to the heavy pour on the vodka drinks my brother made us.

I was looking out the window AND apparently mouthing the words of the potential conversation I would have with the host of the party - who we are having over for dinner soon. Thus, looking like a "special needs" child to any outside observer.

John said, "Kevin, what are you doing?" He then looked over both shoulders to see if anyone was watching me - to make sure no one knew he was eating lunch with a loony Mc-loon.

Incidentally, this was the second time in recent weeks he caught me doing this, thus establishing a repetitive behavior. Yikes, maybe I'm turning into a whack-job weirdo!

RELATED BACKGROUND INFO
One of the more memorable columns I wrote for my college newspaper detailed "things I just don't understand" about my college classmates. It spotlighted some truly weird behavior I saw around campus. Two that come to mind: sorority girls wore tight black pants to the bar like it was their "slutty" uniform & people used glow sticks at the club like they were their magic hypnotizing sticks.

Throughout that semester my friend and roommate Ryan, repeated: "Things I don't understand by Kevin Slatz" followed by his trademark giggle, whenever he spotted an example of something "I didn't understand."

The column took on a life of its own because other friends and total strangers would tell me about the odd behaviors they found weird - thus making this article a defining college moment.

Which brings me to this related question: Is my "talking to myself" behavior something I would have written about in college? Have I turned into the person I made fun of in the "things I just don't understand" column?

SPIN CONTROL
OK, maybe I talk to myself and this is a odd/strange behavior. But it's not all that weird! I chalk it up to being a sign of a creative story teller who is practicing his shtick - after all - only a creative-artsy person would think it's totally fine to be caught in an empty restaurant mumbling words out the window!

When you're hanging out with me and I'm mouthing words into outer space, please don't be alarmed - let me be! It's definitely a sign of a creative genius at work and hopefully you'll find it to be an endearing quality in a friend.