Teaching moment!
Jan. 6th, 2011 04:05 pmApparently yesterday I got a year older or something. I can't say I really noticed, what with having Sims 2-induced insomnia* the night before and it being my first day back at work. I spent most of it trying not to fall asleep at my desk.
But! While I was trying to nap on the train home, and drifting in and out thanks to the extremely chatty pair of girls next to me, I drifted back awake to the strains of 'I mean, how can he know he doesn't like sex if he's never had it?'
I think what happened next went OK. I don't think I was rude, although I was probably more abrupt than necessary (I usually am in these situations; I'm naturally blunt and I get nervous talking to strangers, you do the math). At any rate, at least one of them seemed to understand my example of 'How do you know you won't enjoy sex with women if you've never slept with a woman?', and I think her friend got it in the end too. And then we moved on to asexual relationships, briefly, and then one of them had to get off the train.
Success for two reasons:
*TS2 is the most addictive game in the world for me, I am not kidding. I once completely forgot to go to a lecture because I was so engrossed - didn't skip it, just forgot I had one at all. Storytelling tool + no limiting factors like typing speed = engrossed Charamei whose brain WILL NOT SHUT OFF. Also, eight-hour playing sessions. (Eight straight hours on a computer is pretty rare for me outside of office situations: I like fresh air too much.)
But! While I was trying to nap on the train home, and drifting in and out thanks to the extremely chatty pair of girls next to me, I drifted back awake to the strains of 'I mean, how can he know he doesn't like sex if he's never had it?'
I think what happened next went OK. I don't think I was rude, although I was probably more abrupt than necessary (I usually am in these situations; I'm naturally blunt and I get nervous talking to strangers, you do the math). At any rate, at least one of them seemed to understand my example of 'How do you know you won't enjoy sex with women if you've never slept with a woman?', and I think her friend got it in the end too. And then we moved on to asexual relationships, briefly, and then one of them had to get off the train.
Success for two reasons:
- A teaching moment that went reasonably well
- On a more personal level, I talked to some strangers and the world did not explode, nor did they laugh at me or pull my hair or, I dunno, eat me or anything. If nothing else this was a win against social anxiety.
*TS2 is the most addictive game in the world for me, I am not kidding. I once completely forgot to go to a lecture because I was so engrossed - didn't skip it, just forgot I had one at all. Storytelling tool + no limiting factors like typing speed = engrossed Charamei whose brain WILL NOT SHUT OFF. Also, eight-hour playing sessions. (Eight straight hours on a computer is pretty rare for me outside of office situations: I like fresh air too much.)